BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 



The markings are somewhat variable in extent and citrinous, but fade 

 very considerably after death ; two examples in my collection have the 

 scutellum entirely black, and it is hard to believe it has ever been flavous. 



The only species with which the present can be confused is the Spanish 

 L. cabrerae. Berth., which has the areola strongly transverse and the 

 spiracles more elongate; its head and thorax are broadly red, the antennae 

 entirely ferrugineous and the hind tibiae black throughout ; it is, too, 

 rather larger. 



The economy of Z. iiycihemerus, which would appear to be a rarity, 

 though probably only overlooked on the Continent, where it occurs in 

 Ciermany, France and Italy, has recently been somewhat fully investigated 

 in Britain. Until 1897 it was supposed to be of extremely rare occurrence, 

 and was known only from the examples described by Desvignes. Marshall 

 (cf. E.M.M. 1897, p. 235) took a larva of Lycaena argio/iis in his garden, 

 at Botusfleming, in Cornwall, in July, from whose pupa an example of the 

 present species emerged about a month later. Bignell subsequently bred 

 it from the same host, in South Devon, on 14th July. Mrs. Redmayne sent 

 me specimens to name, bred from L. argiolus, at Chalford, in Gloucester. 

 The larvae pupated early in September, and females of the parasite 

 emerged therefrom at the end of the ensuing April (Ent. Rec, 1900, 

 p. 164). Prideaux has bred this species during two or three consecutive 

 years from the above host at Reigate, and tells me that there one occurs 

 in about every dozen chrysalids of its host, considering whose frequency 

 the parasite should be by no means uncommon {/ib. cit. p. 260), but it 

 appears never to have been taken on the wing, and one is almost led to 

 conjecture that its habits are nocturnal or at least reclusive. 



The similarity of this parasite's pupa to its imago is to be seen in 

 the tumidulous scutellum and the neuration of the wings, which though 

 concolorous with the cells is much elevated and inflated. The pupa is 

 stramineous with the meso-notum and -sterna black ; the eyes are nigro- 

 castaneous with the ocelli and mandibular teeth castaneous and widely 

 distended ; all the members are detached and visible, the antennae and 

 legs being enclosed in separate sheaths and neatly folded upon the ventral 

 surface ; the thorax is of a somewhat more sordid colour than the head, 

 wings and abdomen ; there is no trace of lateral abdominal spiracles, and 

 those of the host's pupa, within which the whole of the parasite's ecdysis 

 takes place, are, like the remainder of the shell, interiorly thickly coated 

 with a silken lining, which would indicate in ichneumonidous pupae an 

 incomplete respiratory system. Its length is 7 mm. {cf. Ent. Rec. 1900, 

 p. 187, ff. I et 2). 



Shortly before emergence the imago can be easily traced, since most 

 of the markings and especially the outer orbital are already conspicuous ; 

 the pale apices of the three basal segments are, however, not represented 

 at this stage of its evolution. The convex post petiole is very distinct, 

 though the antennae, palpi, face and wings are still enveloped ; the first are 

 now flavous throughout, the scape only showing piceous ; the abdomen 

 has undergone considerable modification and its contour is quite changed. 



As far as I am aware this species commences to gnaw its way through 

 the host's pupa at about 2-0 p.m. and succeeds in piercing an orifice in a 

 couple of hours; actual emergence being accomplished about 5-30 p.m. 

 by means of a more or less regular circular incision which entirely removes 

 the capital extremity of the host's pupa, of which only the caterpillar's 



