BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. I7I 



2. sputator, Fab. 



hhueiimon sputator, Fab. E. S. ii. 153 ; Gx. I. E. i. 542 ; Ste. III. M. vii. 195. 

 Amhlytdes spulalor, Wesm. Nouv. Mem. Ac. Brux. 1844, p. 128 ; Bill. Ac. Bru.N;. 184S, 

 p. 298 ; Voll. Pinac. pi. vii. f. 7 ; Berth. Ann. Soc. Fr. 1895, p. 593, 6 ? . 



Head black. Antennae setaceous, white-banded in both sexes ; of 9 

 slender, of $ with basal flagellar joints sub-cylindrical. Thorax black ; 

 areola quadrate ; nietalhoracic apophyses small but distinct. Scutellum 

 black and somewhat flat. Abdomen black with second and third seg- 

 ments red or badious ; post-petiole aciculate ; gastrocaeli deep and trans- 

 verse, the intervening space narrow and aciculately punctate ; second and 

 third ventral segments plicate, fourth of $, often carinate but not folded. 

 Legs slender, black ; tibiae, except apices of posterior, and the front 

 femora in part, red. Wings somewhat clouded, with stigma fulvous and 

 tegulae black. Length, 15 mm. 



The $ rarely has the abdomen or antennae entirely black or all the 

 femora and tibiae red. 



This species is very similar to Stenichneuvion culpatory Schr., from which 

 the $ differs, besides the genetic points, in the absence of the coxal 

 scopulae and in the obtuse anus ; and the $ in having the head as broad 

 as the thorax, the body more slender ; the post-petiole centrally canalicu- 

 late and the metathorax bispined. 



It is said to frequent umbelliferous flowers, in August and September, in 

 central Europe and France, where it has been bred from Plusia gamma, 

 and the female hibernates. I know of no British record since Stephens 

 said he found it, in Darenth Wood, at the beginning of June. 



3. homocerus, Wesm. 



likiietmion castigator, Gr. I. PI i. 124, var. metathorace bispino, i. Amblyteles 

 homocerus, Wesm. Bui. Ac. Brux. 1854, p. 121 ; Mem. couron. Ac. Belg. 1859, p. 91 ; 

 Berth. Ann. Soc. Fr. 1895, P- 595. i ? • 



A black species with red legs. Head and antennae black ; latter slender, 

 setaceous, of $ rarely red-banded, of $ with apical joints sub-nodulose. 

 Thorax entirely black ; areola sub-quadrate, sometimes a little broader 

 than long, apically truncate ; apophyses short and distinct. Scutellum 

 black, only slightly convex, dull and strongly punctate. Abdomen black ; 

 post-petiole finely aciculate, often rugulose in $ , bicarinate ; gastrocaeli 

 large, deep and transverse, with the intervening space narrow; $ with 

 fourth ventral segment not plicate. Legs red ; coxae except sometimes 

 the posterior of the (?, trochanters, and the apices of the hind tibiae and 

 tarsi, black. Wings more or less clouded, stigma fulvous ; areolet pen- 

 tagonal ; tegulae and radix black. Length, 14-16 mm. 



This species is closely allied to the next, with which Gravenhorst mixed 

 it, but it may be at once known by the distinct metathoracic spines and 

 by its longer clypeus. 



It was first detected in Britain, in June, 1881, when examples were bred 

 by Bignell, in South Devon, from ArQ-nnis Paphia ; it is not uncommon 

 on the Continent, in the central and southern regions, extending to 

 northern Africa, but is still much confused with the following species. 



