Microcryptus.] BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 33 



mesopleurae punctate. Scutellum black, its fovea deeply impressed. 

 Abdomen of ? ovate ; black, with segments two, three, base of fourth and 

 apex of the first, red, and the seventh, together with the apex of the 

 sixth, white ; post-petiole smooth and shining, sub-quadrate, with the 

 sides rounded and carinae wanting ; terebra at least half the length of the 

 abdomen. Legs of ? red, with apices of the hind femora and of their 

 tibiae black ; of S flavous, with the coxae and trochanters black. ^Vings 

 slightly narrow ; stigma comparatively somewhat broad ; the discoidal cell 

 apically obtuse below; radix white, tegulae black. Length, 5-7 nun. 



This is the only species of the present genus whose ? has the costulae 

 entire, the clypeus deeply discreted, and the mesopleurae strongly punctate. 

 Thomson has excluded Gravenhorst's male and substituted one whose 

 coloration he does not very fully refer to, though its antennae would 

 appear to be tricoloured. 



In June and July this species is found throughout the northern half of 

 Europe. Two males, taken at Earlham, near Norwich, in September, were 

 believed by Bridgman to be referable to F. improbiis, Grav. ; and Bignell 

 records it from Bickleigh, in Devonshire, early in August. There appears 

 to be some confusion in the British collections between this insect and 

 M. puncticollis, Thorns., which now represents the original male of the 

 present species. My females are from Capron's collection captured, 

 probably, at Shere, in Surrey. 



7. rufoniger, Bridg. 

 Phygadeiwn (Microcryptus) rufoniger, Bridg. Trans. Ent. Soc. 1889, p. 415, 9 . 



Head black, somewhat shining, punctate, not narrowed behind the eyes, 

 scarcely as broad as the thorax. Antennae slightly longer than half the 

 body, subfiliform, tricoloured ; basal flagellar joint thrice longer than broad, 

 sixth quadrate. Thorax somewhat shining, punctate ; metathorax a little 

 rugulose, costulae wanting, areola small and about as long as broad, 

 narrower basally and deeply emarginate apically ; spiracles small and 

 almost circular. Scutellum black. Abdomen elongate-ovate, as broad as 

 the thorax, smooth and shining ; black, with three basal segments and the 

 sides of the fourth red, anus immaculate ; first segment with no carinae, 

 the following transverse ; terebra one-third of the length of the abdomen. 

 Legs somewhat slender, red ; hind ones with tarsi, apices of their tibiae 

 and of their femora infuscate. Wings clouded ; areolet pentagonal, with 

 the outer nervure sub-pcllucid ; discoidal cell apically rectangular below ; 

 lower wing with the first recurrent nervure scarcely antefurcal, intercepted 

 below its centre ; stigma and tegulae infuscate. Length, 5 mm. 



This species is said to be very like M. improbns, but with shorter 

 antennae and terebra, thinner legs and no white anal marking ; the 

 costulae, moreover, are wanting. In the Norwich Museum collection it is 

 placed next after M. graminicola. 



Bridgman tells us several specimens of this species, whose male appears 

 to be still unassociated, were taken in Ashdown I''orest, on loth November, 

 1885, probaijly at the roots of grass. These were exhil)iled at a meeting 

 of the South London Ent. Soc. in ALirch, i8yo (</ MM.M., 1890, p. 144). 

 It does not appear to have yet been recognized on the Continent. 



D 



