276 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. [Sj>ilocrypfns. 



apophyses normal ; spiracles small and sub-circular ; pronotum of $ white. 

 Scutellum black, of cj usually white. Al)domcn of 9 broader than thorax 

 and ovate, of $ narrower ; red, with base of first, sometimes apex of fourth 

 and whole of following segments black, except the last or last two, which 

 are dorsally white ; basal segment of ? slightly curved laterally and 

 parallel-sided from the spiracles, dorsally flat and gIal)rous ; posi -petiole 

 transversely sub-quadrate, of S longer and of ? shorter than broad ; 

 thyridii transverse, second segment of ? closely punctate ; terebra about 

 lialf the length of the abdomen. Legs somewhat stout, red ; all the coxae 

 and the hind legs black, with tibiae basally white-banded ; $ with hind 

 femora, except apically, red. Wings somewhat clouded, discally darker in 

 9 ; tegulae of S and radix white ; nervelet sub-obsolete, areolet parallel- 

 sided ; nervellus intercepted obviously below its centre. Length, 9-1 2 mm. 



Tiiis species is very similar to the preceding, but the post-petiole is 

 shorter ; the $ has the cheeks sub-buccate, the clypeus more strongly and 

 sparsely punctate, the metathorax more rugose with the apophyses a little 

 stouter ; its abdomen is shorter with the basal segment broader, centrally 

 elevated with more distinct carinae, the terebra more shortly hastate and 

 the hind femora stouter ; the white markings of the c^ are less extensive, 

 its hind femora are black beneath, and the abdomen is rather broader 

 with the post-petiole quadrate. 



From the following, with which it agrees in its stout body and legs, this 

 species may be distinguished by the ? hind legs having the trochanterellus 

 and tibiae internally red, with their femora black at the apex, and the S 

 epistoma not white. 



The male varies in having the scutellum and tegulae black or white or 

 white-marked, the hind femora apically and sometimes also at the base or 

 beneath black, and the anus with one, two or three white marks. The 

 variety fumipennis has the femora entirely black, with the front knees 

 red and the tibial white band not entire. 



In 1866, Marshall thought Desvignes' variety brevipennis referable to 

 itiaihitor, but in his 1872 Catalogue it is referred to the present species, 

 because the apophyses are of normal length. The wings are only about as 

 long as the head and thorax, and perfectly symmetrical, broad and truncate 

 at the apex, slightly emarginate centrally, with the radial cell much 

 shortened and widened, the costal nervure failing at and beyond the 

 stigma ; the three cubital cells are visible, the third being rudimentary ; 

 none of the nervures reach the margin, and the central fascia is interrupted 

 by three hyaline spots, one of which is on the inner nervure of the first 

 cubital cell. The hinder wings, with their nervures and cells, are similarly 

 and proportionately abbreviated. This would appear to be identical with 

 Pezomachus aberrans, Grav., though in a more fully developed form.^ 



M. Boudier's " Observations sur les habitudes de larves d'Ichneumons 

 vivant aux depens de la chenille du Bombix du chene " are most interest- 

 ing, but he fails to say more than the larvae are " molles et munies de 

 sugoirs qui devoiraient cette malheureuse chenille, avec ce stoicisme que 

 tout etre vivant exerce quand il s'agit d'un sine qua non." He bred ten 

 males and four females from Bombyx quercus^ but his figures of both sexes, 



1 The insect doing duty for P. aberrans in the National Collection is much larger than the length 

 indicated by Gravenhorst (i^ lines', but is certainly referable to the present genus and identical with 

 an example given me by Whittle, which was bred at Locarno towards the end of May, from Hsyche 

 opaceilri, H.S. 



