314 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. [Crypfus. 



13. armatorius, Fal>. 



Ichneumon armatorius. Fab. E. S. ii. 134, ?. Cryptus armalorius. Fab. Piez. 71; 

 Gr. I. E. ii. 502, 9 ; Tasch. Zeits. Ges Nat. 1865, p. 84 c5 9 • C. spinosus. Or, 

 I. E. ii. 558, 6 9 ; Tasch. Zeits. (ies. Nat. 1865, p. 84; Brisch. Schr. Nat. Danz. 

 1879, p. 332, 9 ; Thorns. O. E. v. 482 ; xxi. 2353, £ 9 . 



Head with internal and often external orbits narrowly whitish ; clypeus 

 usually with a stramineous dot, epistoma prominent ; frons excavate 

 nearly to ocelli, coriaceous-rugose and somewhat dull ; cheeks narrow. 

 Antennae nearly filiform, with four central joints whitish in both sexes. 

 Thorax immaculate ; metanotum centrally longitudinally rugulose, with 

 transverse costae distinct ; apophyses acute, stout and compressed ; 

 spiracles linear. Scutellum (in type form) white at apex. Abdomen red 

 or castaneous throughout, of ? not convex ; post-petiole laterally straight 

 and divergent, dorsally deplanate, with carinae distinctly elevated ; terebra 

 longer than half abdomen. Legs of S black with front tibiae internally 

 ferrugineous ; of ? more or less black, with the anterior femora ferrugineous 

 or testaceous apically, the anterior tibiae and tarsi generally more or less 

 internally rufescent or testaceous ; front tibiae sub-dilated. Wings broadly 

 clouded at inner and apical margins ; radix and tegulae infuscate or black, 

 latter rarely white ; areolet not large, its sides obviously convergent above ; 

 internal fenestra and nervelet large ; nervellus intercepted far below the 

 centre. Length, 8-10 mm. 



C. spinosus, Grav., by which name this species has hitherto been in- 

 correctly known, differs slightly in having the scutellum, external orbits, 

 clypeus and base of first abdominal segment, entirely black, with the 

 terebra perhaps a little longer ; there can be no doubt, however, that it is 

 synonymous with /. armatorius, Fab., which latter name must consequently 

 take priority. 



This species has the head and thorax more strongly punctate than 

 C. JDianae, and is abundantly distinct in its stout apophyses, the con- 

 spicuous carinae of the post-petiole, which is entirely in the female, 

 apically in the male, red, and in all the femora being basally black, except 

 perhaps sometimes the anterior of the male. 



It would appear to be a rare species with us and not extending north of 

 the Thames ; it is much more frequent in southern than in northern 

 Europe. Marquand records it from the Land's End district, and I have 

 seen a specimen taken by Luff in Alderney. It was first recorded as 

 British by Desvignes in 1856, on the strength of examples in his own 

 collection ; and Chitty has, I believe, recently found it at Loch Awe in 

 May. 



14. minator, Grav. 



Cryptus minator, Gr. I. E. ii. 556 et i. Suppl. 704, excl. var. ; Ste. 111. M. vii. 288; 

 Ratz. Ichn. d. Forst. iii. 140; Tasch. Zeits. Ges. Nat. 1865, p. 81 ; Thorns. O. E. v. 

 485 et xxi. 2353, $ '^•, cf. Brisch. Schr. Nat. Ges. Danz. 1879, p. 332. 



Head with scrobes distinct and epistoma prominent ; frons not excavate 

 above ocelli, vertically not rugose, laterally smooth and dull ; clypeus of 

 $ discreted and apically broadly rounded ; both sexes with internal orbits 

 pale and cheeks inunaculate ; $ also has a facial and a clypeal mark, the 

 mandibles except at apex, labrum and palpi, white. Thorax immaculate ; 

 metathorax not smooth at base, with transverse costae distinct, the basal 



