Banchiis.] BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 283 



ous with the scape and base of flagelhim black. Thorax variable in 

 colour, usually with two humeral marks, a callosity beneath the radix, an 

 arcuate petiolar fascia and sometimes dots above the coxae, more or less 

 distinctly flavidous ; mesopleurae coriaceous. Scutellum entirely or 

 laterally flavous, with a very short and stout discal spine. Abdomen 

 nitidulous, elongate-fusiform and laterally compressed with segments one 

 to seven, or in 9 one to four, with broad apical fasciae ; first segment 

 obsoletely punctate with basal tubercles. Legs fulvescent-flavidous with 

 the coxae, base of trochanters, more or less of the femora, and often 

 apices of the hind tibiae infuscate ; coxae strongly and sparsely punctate 

 beneath. Wings fulvescent-hyaline with the stigma fulvous, radix and 

 tegulae flavidous, the latter often black-marked ; areolet broad and sub- 

 sessile. Length, 14 mm. 



The only British 9 ? I have seen belong to Gravenhorst's var. 2, 

 which has the thorax and scutellum entirely black, though sometimes with 

 a pale callosity beneath the radix ; the abdomen, too, has at most the 

 segments narrowly white apically. 



This species may easily be known among those with cylindrically 

 jointed palpi by its smaller scutellar horn, coriaceous mesopleurae, paler 

 abdominal bands and, especially, by the deeply and sparsely punctate 

 hind coxae. The external nervure of the areolet is, as pointed out by 

 Bignell (Trans. Devon. Assoc. 1898, p. 495), distinctly shorter than in 

 B. pictus. 



Ratzeburg bred this species from Noclua piniperda and Bomhyx auriflua 

 in Germany ; but the only British records I can find are Bignell's from 

 Shaugh Bridge in Devonshire at the end of May, and Harwood's from 

 Colchester in the Vict. Hist. Essex. The Rev. F. D. INIorice took it at 

 Ripley early in June ; I possess a typical male found at Trench as early 

 as the 3rd April, 1893, by Martineau ; a female captured flying on the 

 sandhills at Saltfleet, Lines., in June by Musham ; and another bred by 

 Porritt in June, from Trachea piniperda at York. 



2. pictus, Fob. 



Banchus pictus Fab. E. S. Suppl. 234; Don. B.I. xii, pi. 413, figg. 1 et 2 ; Gr. 

 I.E. iii. 380, excl. synon. ; Wesm. Bui. Ac. Brux. 1849, p. 631, excl. var. totus 

 niger ; Thorns. O.E. xxii. 2411, j ? . 



Head subbuccate behind the eyes, black ; face except centrally, centre 

 of mandibles and sometimes frontal dots, flavous. Antennae ferrugineous 

 or piceous, usually with the scape flavous, and the following joints more 

 or less testaceous or ferrugineous, beneath. Thorax black ; two marks 

 on the front of the mesonotum, a line beneath the radix, a perpendicular 

 one on the mesopleurae, lateral marks on metathorax and in the petiolar 



