286 IClINEUMONID.y. 



203. Homocidus dimidiatus. Schr. 



Idttutumon dlmidicdiiA, Scbrank, Fiiuna Hoica, ii, p. 293 ; (Iraven- 



horst, Iclm. Eur. iii, 1829, p. 950 (c5'). 

 Jiiisxus pirttt.f, Graveulior.st, op. cit. p. 330 ( J $); Tluling-reu, Sv. 



Ak. Ilandl. IHoo, p. 361 ($). 

 Bnssits dimidiatus, Holmgren, op. cit. p. 3()3 ( c7 V 

 l>rism.t planus, Desvignes, Trans. Eut. Soc. Lond. 1862, p. 220 



Jlomopurus picius, Thomson, Opiisc. Ent. xiv, 1890, p. 1-"5J1 (cf 5 )• 

 Homoporus dimidiaius, Morlev, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 190.5, p. 428 

 (d$). 



Head almost broader than tliorax, somewhat constricted poste- 

 riorly, vertex somewhat anguhirly emargiiiate ; Irons nitidulous 

 and not sulcate, though impressed above serobes ; face siibdilated 

 apioally, with epistoma hardly elevated, of $ sometimes white- 

 jmirked ; J ^vith face and cheeks broadly, and mouth, pale ; 

 c]v|)ens deplanate, subpunctate, with the apex obviously emar- 

 giiiate centrally and the sides foveohate ; cheeks almost longer 

 than base of tlie often pale mandibles ; palpi inf uscate or wliitish. 

 Antcnnce black throughout in 5 ? P*l« beneath in d ; their apices 

 subattenuate and the Hagellum, of about twenty-two joints, reach- 

 in^ beyond the thorax. Thorax black, somewhat shining and 

 very finely punctate ; a large subhamate humeral mark white, 

 cJ also with a large pronotal mark, mesosternum apically, and 

 pleural lines, white ; mesosternum densely and very linely punc- 

 tate, with speculum not smooth : metathorax finely punctate, 

 apically subrugose, with all arese wanting, and lateral costte sub- 

 obsolete. Scutellam apically and laterally lined with white, rarely 

 immaculate in d" . Abdomen black, half as long again as thorax, 

 apically smooth and hardly compressed ; first segment short, 

 ba'iallv excavate and coarsely punctate, with no carinoe, postpetiole 

 transverse, spiracles not prominent; second segment subtransverse, 

 sparselv punctate and, between the transversely oval thyridii, 

 densely striolate ; third in rf with a more or less conspicuous 

 pale fascia. Legs somewhat stout and red, with the anterior pairs 

 isasally paler in d and sometimes black-marked in $ ; hind tarsi 

 and tibia} black, the latter sparsely setiferous externally and white 

 nearly to their centre internally in $ , or mainly testaceous in 

 (5 , which also often has an infuscate band before, though never 

 at, the base, Wiiu/s hyaline, stigma infuscate and not broad, 

 basally ])ale ; areolet irregular and subsessile ; nervellus oblique, 

 intercepted far below its centre. 



Length 5 -Oi millim. 



SiKKiM : Darjiling, 6000 ft., ix. 09 (E. Bnmeiti). Europe. 



This is an abundant and widely distributed species in Western 

 Europe. It is found upon flowers throughout the summer and, 

 though we know nothing of its economy, we may suspect it of 

 attacking Syrphid flies, since I took a female investigating a colony 

 of Aphis hieracii, in June 1903. 1 have seen but a single female 

 from India. 



