328 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. [Nyxeophilus. 



I. Corsicus, Mars/i. 

 Nyxeophilus Corsicus, Marsh. E.M.M, 1901, p. 291, 9 ; Mori. ///'. cit. 1902, p. 173, i 9. 



A large black species, with quadrate head and broadly pale-banded 

 antennae. Head black, irregularly and not very closely punctate ; broadly 

 tumidous behind the sub-emarginate eyes ; vertex convex, occiput centrally 

 bifoveate ; face rugulose, with short black pilosity ; clypeus glabrous and 

 centrally mucronate ; mandibles stout, sub-rufescent, with the lower tooth 

 almost the longer. Antennae filiform, l)lack, with flagellar joints cylindri- 

 cal and four to nine of $ , seven to fourteen of $ , stramineous ; the apical 

 of 9 short and truncate, the penultimate clothed in dense pale pubescence. 

 Thorax immaculate, pro- and meta-notum scabrous ; mesonotum some- 

 what confluently punctate and nitidulous, anteriorly vertical, with notauli 

 deeply impressed and forming a discal depression ; metathorax with apical 

 costa laterally strong, but only indistinct indication of central areae ; 

 petiolar area short and not discreted, apophyses stout ; mesopleural sulci 

 distinct. Abdomen black and glabrous, of $ often obsoletely castaneous 

 centrally, of S narrower ; basal segment stout, gradually explanate and 

 bicarinate throughout ; terebra nearly length of body. Legs elongate, 

 black ; front tarsi, tibiae and apices of femora of $ pale red, their femora 

 constricted at apex, tibiae strongly intumescent and the apical tarsal joint 

 inserted before apex of penultimate ; of $ infuscate, with the tibiae 

 sinuate. Wings ample and hyaline ; tegulae, radix and the narrow stigma 

 infuscate ; areolet pentagonal, somewhat narrow ; nervelet distinct and 

 nervellus intercepted above its centre. Length, 15 mm. 



It is just possible from the structural descriptions of Holmgren (Sv. Ak. 

 Handl. i860, n. 10, p. 72) and Taschenberg that this insect is synonymous 

 with IchtieumoH reluctator, Linn., which has the antenna! joints eleven to 

 sixteen in the male and seven to eleven in the female white ; segments two 

 to three or four entirely red, the fifth and in ? apex of first castaneous ; 

 the legs red, with their bases, hind tibiae, and sometimes the posterior 

 femora, black. 



This very distinct species, shortly after its discovery by Bignell in 

 Corsica, was found to be not uncommon in the New Forest, in May and 

 June, by Miss Chawner and Adams (in my collection) ; by Ur. Sharp, his 

 daughter and C. G. Lamb (in the Cambs. Museum) ; it also figures in 

 Stephens' and Desvignes' collections (in the British Museum) as Echthrus 

 reluctator ; and C. VV. Dale tells me that his father took it in the same 

 locality, in May, 1838. Chitty has found it at Huntingfield near Faversham, 

 in May, 1901 and 1904. 



