32 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 



12. lineator, Fab} 



Tchtieumon Imeator, Fab. E. S. ii. i68, i ; Gr. I. E. i. 120, excl. var. 3, 9 (part) ; 

 Ste. 111. M. vii. 130; Zett. I. L. 358; Wesm. Nouv. M(im. Ac. Brux. 1844, p. 21; 

 Holmgr. Ichn. Suec. i. 23 ; Berth. Ann. Soc. Fr. 1894, p. 543, (5 9. /. nigerrimus, Ste. 

 111. M. vii. 130, i; cf. Mori. E. M.IM. 1902, p. 119. CoelicJuieunion liiiealor, Thorns. 

 O. E. xviii. 1908, 6 9. Var. /. ferreus, Gr. I. E. i. 171, i ; Wesm. Nouv. Mum. Ac. 

 Brux. 1844, p. 22 ; Bui. Ac. Brux. 1848, p. 334 ; Berth. Ann. Soc. Fr. 1894, p. 544, i 9 . 

 /. higiitlatus, Thunb. Nov. Act. Ups. 1784, 9. Var. /. restauraior, Gr. I. E. i. 197, 

 cj ; Wesm. Nouv. Mem. Ac. Brux. 1844, p. 22, 9 6. Var. /. caericlescens, Tisch. 

 Stett. Zeit. 1879, 9 • 



A Stout, shining, blue-black species. Head black ; clypeus sub-sinuate ; 

 cheeks moderately inflated ; temples rather narrow ; frontal, external, and 

 a dot at the vertical orbits usually white-marked, $ also with facial orbits 

 and sides of clypeus generally white. Antennae somewhat dilato-compresed 

 and attenuate, seventh joint sub-quadrate ; ? with a six-jointed white band ; 

 c^ scape nearly always white beneath. Thorax black, stout ; lines on pro- 

 notinn and before radix sometimes white in $ only ; metathorax rugulose, 

 with upper areae complete ; areola sub-hexagonal, occasionally sub-quadrate, 

 shorter in $ , somewhat rounded in front and concave apically. Scutellum 

 flattish, black, strongly punctate, and sometimes apically foveate ; basal 

 carinae and very rarely an apical dot white, rarely entirely black. Abdomen 

 blue-black throughout, never red-marked ; post-petiole strongly aciculate, 

 the lateral area and sometimes the apex punctate ; gastrocaeli large, deep, 

 triangular and strongly striate, with the intervening space strongly and sub- 

 rugosely aciculate ; segments two and three dorsally sub-aciculate, remainder 

 becoming more nitidulous towards the apex. Legs black ; front tibiae 

 internally pale ; hind femora often reddish ; $ with hind coxae not very 

 closely punctate, scopulae rufescent. Wings a little clouded ; stigma and 

 tegulae piceous ; areolet wide above ; radix often posteriorly white beneath. 

 Length, io~i8 mm. 



Superficially this insect resembles Melanichneumon irilineaius, Gmel., 

 from which the posteriorly broader head, and the centrally strongly striolate 

 second segment will serve to distinguish it. From C. comitator the female 

 may be known by its somewhat sparsely punctate coxae and less dilated 

 flagellum, the joints of which become quadrate at the seventh. 



This is a most variable species, and has several times been described 

 under distinct naiiies : — /. restauraior has the abdomen black without blue 

 reflection ; the $ has pale lateral dots at apex of the first abdominal segment 

 (var. $ caerukscejis), and the scutellum of the $ has an apical pale spot. 

 This is a common form. /. ferreus^ also has the abdomen black and the 

 extreme apical margins of segments two to seven, as well as the femora and 

 tibiae, red. The $ has the upper margin of the pronotum marked with 

 white, and the areola rougher. Berthoumieu ranks this variety as a good 

 species on the strength of the paucity of the abdominal blue reflection 

 and the more rugose areola. This form has been bred by Mocsary from 

 Hydraecia kucograpJia. 



Of this last variety Wesmael has noticed two very distinct male forms ; 



1 Consiiierable confusion has existed concerning tlie specific ranl< of tlie tlirec following species. 

 Marshall followed Holmgren in considering /. microstictus a mere colour variety of /. lineator, since 

 which time Thomson has indicated, in the " Annales," good structural distinctions. /. ruflcauda, 

 Wesmael originally thought was hardly more than a form of /. rufiuHS, Grav. {ncc Holmgr.) or /. 

 niicrostictus ; from the latter, however, lie found it quite distinct upon comparing it with the Graven- 

 horstian types, in 1859. 



