96 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 



epistoma prominent ; frontal and lunulae at vertical orbits white ; ? with 

 the mandibles and more or less of the distinctly separated clypeus red ; 

 S with the palpi, mandibles, clypeus, face and cheeks entirely white. 

 Antennae ferrugineous beneath ; in $ stout, filiform and white-banded ; 

 in S much longer, sub-attenuate, more slender, with scape white beneath. 

 Thorax black and shining ; S with pronotum, a long line before and often 

 another beneath the radix, and occasionally two marks on the metathorax, 

 white ; metanotum roughly punctate, with complete areae ; the areola 

 sub-semicircular, broader than long, especially in c?, apically rectangular, 

 with the margin truncate : spiracles small, more rounded laterally iru $ . 

 Scutellum, and often in the 6, the post-scutellum, entirely or apically 

 white ; rarely black throughout in $ . Abdomen nearly smooth, shining, 

 red to its apex, which, however, is sometimes infuscate in 3 ', first segment 

 nearly entirely black ; post-petiole finely and distinctly punctate, or nearly 

 glabrous ; second segment basally impressed throughout, with broad, 

 transversely linear thyridii, and simple, small but distinct gastrocaeli ; 

 terebra piceous, exserted the length of half the first segment. Legs black, 

 anterior femora and tibiae, and hind femora more or less towards the base, 

 red ; hind tibiae black, with a broad white basal band ; S with anterior 

 coxae sometimes flavidous ; $ hind coxae shining, sparsely punctate, with 

 no scopulae. Wings hyaline, radix flavous, stigma piceous ; areolet some- 

 what narrowed above ; radial nervure externally incurved ; tegulae of 6 

 flavous, of ? piceous. Length, 6-8 mm. 



A small and very distinct species, at once known by the black, basally 

 white-ringed, hind tibiae, by the white vertical dot on the head, the absence 

 of white on the anus, and by the far-exserted terebra, which gives it a 

 somewhat Cryptid appearance. 



Var. Piffardi. I have a very distinct variety of the male, probably 

 meriting specific rank, to which, in the absence of the female, it were 

 foolish to raise it. From the type form it differs in having all the mark- 

 ings, including the anterior coxae, pure white ; the flagellum is fulvous 

 beneath, with its apical joints somewhat more nodulose ; the areola is 

 apically emarginate ; the post-petiole much more strongly arcuate, and its 

 central area much broader ; the gastrocaeli are distinctly trans-striolate, 

 and the thyridii more deeply impressed and internally bounded by a 

 distinct tuberculiform prominence, between which the space is very narrow, 

 a little less impressed and evenly punctate ; the wings are a little more 

 elongate and very slightly flavescent, with the radial nervure externally 

 quite straight. Length, 6| mm. 



This variety was taken at Felden, in Herts., by Mr. Albert Piffard, f.e.s., 

 to whom I owe much for most valuable assistance and the gift of his 

 collection of British Ichneumons. 



B. albicinctus is not uncommon on the Continent, upon Umbeniferae, &c., 

 from May to September. Stephens found it in Darenth Woods, in June, 

 and Bridgman says it is very common in Norfolk. It is a well known 

 parasite of Fidonia piniaria, and has also been bred, in Germany, from 

 A'lacaria liturata. Bignell has bred it, on May 5th, from Hypsipetes 

 ri/beraia, and on September 9th, from Eupithecia reclangiilata, in South 

 Devon. It is undoubtedly a common and widely distributed species in 

 Britain. I have received examples, bred from Alelanippe pluctuafa, at 

 Edinburgh, by Mr. J. Waterton, in June, and from Epunda viminalis, at 



