EXETASTES. :246 



broad, with the narrow stigma rufescent ; tegulae of c? flavidoiis 

 or Ferruginous, of $ piceous ; areolet subsessile ; uervellus iiiter- 

 ce|)ting far above the centre. 



Length 8-12 niillim. 



Among several hundreds of this species which I have bred in 

 England the variation is surprisingly small. In both sexes the 

 second to fourth hind tarsal joints are normalh' white, rarely 

 tlavous after death, and occasionally with the base of the fifth 

 coucolorous ; the extent of sessility of the areolet varies somewhat 

 and it is sometimes subpetiolate ; the uervelet is also of variable 

 length and often obsolete. The S has the scutelliim usually 

 fiavous at its apex, sometimes the apical half or the whole 

 scutelhim (except its base) is fiavous, at others it is entirely 

 black or witli two subobsolete fiavous spots at its extreme apex ; 

 the S antenna?, which normally bear no central pale band, 

 occasionally exhibit more or less distinct traces of one, and veiy 

 rarely the band is quite evident ; the mesonotum is laterally 

 fiavous in typical examples, but sometimes more or less castaneous, 

 or with this colour reduced to mere dots, rarely entirely wanting ; 

 the mesopleurae, generally in part fiavous, are sometimes iiri- 

 maculate ; the pronotuin is occasionally fiavous or bimaculate ; 

 the S abdomen is never quite black, though the extent of the 

 rufescent coloration is very variable ; the femora are very rarely 

 infuscate, almost ah\ays pale at their extreme base, which is very 

 rarely quite white. The $ varies but very slightly in having the 

 usually entirely black abdomen rufescent at the thyridii and apical 

 margin in the second segment ; and. its intermediate femora are 

 almost always nigrescent towards their base. 



It will, however, be found that the clear red basal hind tarsal 

 joint at once distinguishes this species from all others of its genus, 

 except my new E. tisq^hone. 



A detailed description of the larva (first described by me in 

 Ent. Mo. Mag. 1903, p. 163) and cocoon (cf. De Geer, Mem, ii, 

 p. 849, pi. xxix) of this species is given in my " British Ich- 

 neumons" (iii, p. 293), where it is also stated that the host- 

 caterpillar is consumed before attaining the pupal state ; that 

 the parasitic larvje probably evacuate their liosts w bile the latter 

 are passing the daytime below ground, and there spend the winter, 

 since their cocoons are usually found whilst potatoes are being 

 dug in the autumn. A large percentage of the pupc^e are des- 

 troyed by mould and the hyperparasitic attacks of the Ophionid 

 Mesochorns mandihulayis, Thorns., and a species of Chalcidiu.e. 

 The time of emergence is during June and July in Britain. 



In Europe it is an extremely abundant species in gardens 

 throughout the central and northern regions, extending to 

 Lapland ; it has been bred from Mamestra hrassioe, JJaJciui 

 oleracea, Itetinia 2^i^^icolana and Miann fiinincula, and may be 

 frequently observed on umbelliferous Hower-heads. The only 

 Oriental example I have seen is a cS from Westwood's collection, 

 now in the Oxford Museum, which is labelled "'India, Boys." 



