BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. IQQ 



species mixed in his collection with Ichneumon confusorius and many of 

 A. palliatorius mixed with those of A. indocilis. 



This is the species described from Britain by Desvignes under the name 

 IcJuieumon relucens ; he cites no locahty and it does not appear to have 

 been here again noticed until Mr. Evans recently sent me Scotch examples 

 to determine. He has recorded these (Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist. 1902, p. 57) 

 from the Pentlands above Balerno, early in October; from Coniston, in 

 July ; and from IMacbiehill. On the Continent, where the female is 

 known to hibernate, it appears to be restricted to Belgium, Prussia and 

 the north of France ; Holmgren says it is rare in central and southern 

 Sweden. 



17. subsericans, Grav. 



Ichneui/ion snhencans, Gr. Mem. Ac. Sc. Torin, 1820, p. 2S5 ; I. E. i. 161. Atnbly- 

 teles subsericans, Wesm. Nouv. Mem. Ac. Biux. 1844, p. 12S ; Ilolmgr. Ichn. Suec. ii. 

 249 ; Sv. Ak. Handl. 1854, p. 40; Thorns. Ann. Soc. Fr. 1S88, p. 117 ; Berth, lib. cit. 

 1895, p. 651 ; Thorns. O. E. xix. 2097, (J ? . /. cognatus, Ste. 111. M. vii. 139; cf. 

 Mori. E.M.M. 1902, p. 119. 



Head somewhat buccate, narrowed behind the eyes ; clypeus apically 

 truncate, sparsely punctate ; $ with palpi, the bidentate mandibles, 

 labrum, clypeus, and face flavescent, the last sometimes bimaculated with 

 black ; temples punctate and pilose. Antennae setaceous, elongate and 

 slender, black ; of $ white-banded, and ferrugineous beneath towards the 

 apices, .with basal flagellar joint cylindrical and the twelfth sub-quadrate ; 

 $ with scape flavidous beneath. Thorax black with sometimes white dots 

 before and beneath the radix ; areola sub-quadrate, apically emarginate ; 

 costulae generally entire ; apophyses usually present, tuberculiform. Scu- 

 tellum somewhat flat ; entirely or apically white, rarely entirely black. 

 Abdomen elongate, sub-linear, finely sculptured ; black, with seventh seg- 

 ment of ? nearly always with a more or less distinct longitudinal glaucous 

 mark ; third of $ sometimes rufescent at the margins ; post-petiole acicu- 

 late ; gastrocaeli small and superficial, but distinct ; second segment dull 

 and strongly alutaceous ; the remainder becoming smoother apically ; the 

 fourth ventral not plicate, hypopygium of ? nearly concealing the terebra, 

 of (? a little produced centrally ; genital valvulae very large ; anus of $ 

 usually acuminately compressed. Legs normal, clear red ; coxae, except 

 the flavous front ones of the cj, and trochanters, sometimes the apices of 

 hind tibiae and their tarsi, nigrescent. Wings fulvescent, stigma fulvous ; 

 tegulae piceous, sometimes white-marked ; areolet a little narrowed above. 

 Length, I2~i8 mm. 



Berthoumieu points out that the greater or less dilatation of the ? abdo- 

 men, which renders the apical segment quadrate or transverse, is regulated 

 by the fecundity or sterility of the insect. 



This species may be known by the elongate antennae being much longer 

 than half the body, which is narrow, sub-linear and by no means stout ; 

 the c? has the last dorsal segment a little longer than the penultimate and 

 its valvulae very large and strongly convex ; the apex of the ? abdomen is 

 nearly always laterally compressed. 



It is not uncommon on the Continent, but has only once been bred, 

 from Odonesiis fotaloria (Bilkips). In Britain, Stephens says his /. cog- 

 7in(tis was " common near London, during the summer, frequenting 

 umbelliferous flowers, etc., l)y woodsides and hedges " ; Piffard has found 



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