3IO BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. {^Cryplus. 



paral areae indicated by a dentiform costa ; apophyses obtuse and rising 

 from low on petiolar area ; spiracles large and elongate. Scutellum of ? 

 white and somewhat broad ; of $ black, deplanate and apically strongly 

 contracted. Abdomen red or badious, of 9 oblong-ovate and as broad as 

 thorax, with the petiole alone black, of $ with the anus as well as the 

 whole of the basal segment and other irregular markings also black ; basal 

 segment of 5 somewhat strongly explanate and laterally curved ; post- 

 petiole glabrous, sub-quadrate with three straight sulci, as long as and twice 

 broader than the petiole ; $ anus obtuse, terebra nearly as long as abdo- 

 men, with spicula red. I-egs somewhat elongate, black ; anterior tibiae 

 and femora, except the intermediate femora basally, red ; apices of the 

 hind femora and base of their tibiae ferrugineous ; posterior tarsi of $ 

 centrally white. Wings of 9 slightly clouded, more distinctly towards the 

 apices ; stigma dull testaceous ; radix and tegulae piceous, former in c? 

 whitish; nervelet elongate. Length, 6-7 mm. 



The female is said to resemble that of Mesostenus ligator, but to be 

 possessed of a longer terebra and pentagonal areolet. 



It is extremely doubtful if this species, as now understood, has ever 

 been taken in Britain, though recently recorded from Essex by Harwood. 

 C. atfetitorius, Panz., was introduced in our fauna by Marshall, in 1870, as 

 representing C. quadrilineatus of Stephens, which is now, through the 

 correction of an error of Taschenberg, ascribed to C. sponsor^ Fab. Its 

 Continental range lends probability, however, to its occurrence with us. 



10. obscurus, Grav. 



Cryptus obscttriis, Gr. I. E. ii. 548, excl. var. 2 ; Ste. 111. M. vii. 287 ; Ratz. Ichn. d. 

 Forst. i. 141 ; Fonsc. Ann. Soc. Fr. 1850, p. 376 ; Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Hand!. 1854, 

 p. 51 ; Tasch. Zeils. Ges. Nat. 1865, p. 86; Tschek, Verb. z.-b. Ges. 1870, p. 114, 

 i ? ; Thorns. O. E. v. 481 (part), excl. 6. Varr. C. Dianae, Gr. I. E. ii. 545, i et 

 var. 3. (?) Var. C. difficilis, Tschek, Verh. z.-b. Ges. 1870, p. 117, excl. ?. 



Shining, punctate, with white pubescence. Head black ; clypeus dis- 

 creted, apically depressed and truncate ; epistoma prominent, frons 

 excavate with a central sulcus ; of $ with mouth, a central spot, and part 

 of orbits white ; of 9 with part of orbits very narrowly pale. Antennae 

 black, of c? vvith scape white beneath, of $ immaculate. Thorax black, 

 of $ with sometimes the pronotum, of $ with a dot beneath the radix, 

 pale ; metanotum longitudinally rugose, the lateral and the sub-hexagonal 

 petiolar areae complete, the former broadest at the apical third of meta- 

 pleurae, and with their apical margin indistinct with strong strigosities, 

 latter broader between the sub-obsolete apophyses than centrally long. 

 Scutellum entirely black. Abdomen very finely alutaceous, ovate-fusiform, 

 and in $ sub-linear, dark red with black basal segment, which is laterally 

 curved to spiracles, and thence parallel-sided, with weak carinae in $ , in 

 $, elongate and laterally straight, with weak spiracles ; terebra longer than 

 half abdomen. Legs red ; anterior femora, tibiae and tarsi darkish red ; 

 apex of hind tibiae and femora infuscate ; hind coxae sparsely punctate 

 and shining beneath ; hind tibiae spinulose and tarsal claws of ? distinctly 

 denticulate basally ; $ with hind femora nigrescent, front or anterior 

 trochanters marked, and the hind tarsi banded, with white. Wings not 

 clouded ; areolet pentagonal, nervelet short. Length, 15-17 mm. 



