BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 7 



behind, especially in the 3- Abdomen dull, very finely and closely 

 punctate, red ; the first and apical segments nigrescent, and anus always 

 immaculate ; post-petiole more or less strongly {)unctate, or glabrous with 

 isolated punctures ; gastrocaeli shallow, rarely sub-obsolete, the intervening 

 space rather broader than the centre of post-petiole, rarely rugose ; terebra 

 distinctly exserted, black, spicula fulvous ; hypopygium of 3 elongately 

 acuminate. Legs most commonly black, usually with anterior femora and 

 tibiae more or less reddish ; hind coxae simple ; (^ with third and fourth 

 joints of hind tarsi, and often the anterior coxae, white. Wings hyaline ; 

 stigma piceous or ferrugineous ; tegulae infuscate ; areolet pentagonal, 

 broad above. Length, 9-12 mm. 



Gravenhorst described three varieties as distinct species, and Holmgren 

 has tabulated ten forms, of which that with black hind femora is the type ; 

 that with the abdomen black, segments two and three only being red, is 

 //. bidentatus ; that of $ with abdomen black, segment two only red, the 

 hind femora and tibiae black is H. moestus. The coloration of the 

 antennae, scutellum, abdomen and legs is very variable. 



I do not expect this species is uncommon in Britain, though Bridgman 

 and Fitch considered it so. Stephens, however, also says it appears to be 

 rare with us and records it from Darenth Wood in June, and, doubtfully, 

 as taken near Kimpton, by Rev. G. T. Rudd ; neither Bridgman nor 

 Bignell met with it ; I possess specimens taken in the New Forest by 

 Miss Chawner, and it is recorded from Essex. It has been bred on the 

 Continent, where it is a common species, from the pupa of Satyrus Moera 

 and from Aspilaies sh'igillaria. The female may probably be found 

 throughout the autumn, and is said to hibernate in moss. 



2. albifrons, Grav. 



Hoplismeniis albifrons, Gr. I. E. ii. 417 ; Ste. III. M. vii. 275, $ ; Thorns. O. E. xix. 

 2081, i ?. 



So closely allied to the preceding species as to need no detailed de- 

 scription, but differing therefrom in its smaller size, more finely punctate 

 and, except at base, entirely red abdomen, invariably white scutellum, and 

 in the white face of the c?, which, in the last species, is only laterally pale. 

 Neveitheless the distinction of primary importance is probably to be found 

 in the metathoracic spiracles, which in the present species are sub-oval and 

 in the former linear. The costulae, too, are obsolete or wanting. Length, 

 7-8 mm. 



I am certainly inclined to consider H. albifrons a good species, though 

 most authors have followed \Vesmael in merging it in H. perniciosus. 

 Thomson says {loc. cit\ " species parva, scutello alba, abdomine basi 

 excepta rufo, facie maris albida discedens," and of H. bidentatus, which he 

 also considers good (on the strength of its colour only), that it is nearly 

 twice larger than H. albifrons, with its hind legs and the segments beyond 

 3rd- 4th black, with the post-petiole punctate centrally. 



Stephens took this species in the vicinity of London, in June ; and 

 Piffard has found it at Felden, in Herts. I have captured it upon flowers, 

 at ^Valbersvvick, in Suffolk, in the middle of July, and the female at 

 Brandon, in the same county, in September. 



E 



