BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 87 



Legs stout, black ; anterior partly fulvous, front tibiae of $ laterally 

 stramineous ; hind ones generally with rufo-piceous tibiae ; hind coxae of 

 9 closely punctate beneath with large scopulae ; 6 with intermediate 

 femora broadly and deeply emarginate apically, its anterior coxae some- 

 times white-marked. Wings a little clouded ; stigma ferrugineous, areolet 

 narrow above. Length, 10-14 iii"'>- 



This is rendered a very distinct species by the structure of the scu- 

 tellum, femora and abdomen. The male varies only in occasionally 

 having the scutellum entirely black (I. opticus), the seventh segment with a 

 minute central white dot, the femora and tibiae red, and the anterior 

 coxae rarely white. 



I expect this is one of the commonest of the restricted genus with us, 

 since it is very frequent in Sweden, and Bridgman says that in Norfolk it 

 appears to be generally distributed and, although perhaps not common, it 

 has occurred at Heigham, Earlham, Brundall and Lynn ; Stephens records 

 it uncommonly from the London district, in June, and the form opticus, in 

 July ; it is not found in Devon. On the Continent, where Gravenhorst 

 took it in August, it is of general distribution. 



3. ridibundus, Grav. 



Ichneumon ridibundus, Gr. I. E. i. 329, 6 ; Wesm. Nouv. M^m. Ac. Brux. 1844, 

 p. 99 ; M(?m. couron. Ac. Belg. 1859, p. 38 ; Holmgr. Ichn. Suec. i. 201 ; Thorns. 

 Ann. Soc. Fr. 1S88, p. 109; Berth, lib. cit 1S95, p. 554, (5 9 • /• hassicus, Ratz. 

 Ichn. d. Forst. ii. 135, 9 . Barichneninon ridibundus, Thorns. O. E. xviii. i960, i 9. 



A pretty little red species, with black head and metathorax, white 

 scutellum and anus. Head black, narrowed behind the cheeks and eyes ; 

 face often entirely reddish, usually with frontal and external orbits white, 

 c? also has palpi, clypeus, facial orbits, the weak mandibles and whole or 

 part of face, whitish ; face distinctly punctate, clypeus not separated. 

 Antennae hardly attenuate apically and only slightly thickened centrally ; 

 of ? white-banded, of S black with the scape white, and fiagellum ferru- 

 gineous, beneath. Thorax rarely entirely black, not broader than head ; 

 prothorax striolate beneath, and with callosities at radix in $ , white ; 

 mesonotum somewhat dull, very finely and closely punctate, usually 

 entirely reddish with a more or less distinct, nitidulous, translucent 

 tubercle behind the margin of the pronotum in the centre ; mesopleurae 

 and apex of metanotum laterally often reddish in 9 or even paler in S; 

 metanotum finely scabrous, the upper areae complete, areola slightly 

 longer than broad, sub-hexagonal, its apex evenly rounded; areola o[ $ 

 semicircular. Scutellum somewhat flat and shining ; white, occasionally 

 red or black at the base ; post-scutellum sometimes red or white. Ab- 

 domen finely punctate, somewhat shining ; red, with base of first and 

 most of fifth and sixth segments black ; disc of sixth and whole of seventh 

 white ; post-petiole sub-depressed, smooth, its carinae wanting and apical 

 angles obtuse ; second segment punctate, the gastrocaeli transverse, 

 broader than the intervening space but withal not deeply impressed ; 

 third segment, at least in $ , with a strong transverse sulcus throughout 

 before the apex ; terebra distinctly exserted, stout, black ; S genitalia 

 white. Legs reddish, with at least the hind coxae and trochanters, femora 

 apically and tibiae broadly, black ; hind coxae of ? may or may not bear 

 minute scopulae ; $ with coxae and trochanters whitish, black-marked 



K 



