22 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. {Helictes 



HELICTES, Holiday. 



Hal. Ann. Nat. Hist. 1839, p. 115; Idioxeniis, Forst. Verb. pr. Rheinl. 1871, 

 p. 94. 



Head small with the vertex broad, roundly constricted posteriorly and 

 acutely discreted from occiput, but not posteriorly emarginate; clypeus 

 convex, strongly discreted, apically truncate and laterally somewhat com- 

 pressed, with large lateral foveae ; cheeks large and not sulcate ; mandibles 

 small and apically subentire. Antennae slender and 25 to 33-jointed, 

 with the scape short, bulbiform and obliquely excised; pedicellus large 

 and the 9 flagellar joints not verticillate-pilose; basal flagellar joint fully 

 twice longer than second or in (J , which has some of joints five to eight 

 emarginate, slightly shorter than second. Thorax subcylindrical, with 

 short notauli; metathoracic areae weak and the discal often indistinct; 

 petiolar area short. Scutellum convex and basally declived. Abdomen 

 petiolate and usually broader beyond centre; basal segment linear, later- 

 ally sinuate and not margined, apically hardly broader, with spiracles at 

 or very shortly before its centre; terebra not exserted. Legs slender 

 and, especially the hind ones, elongate; front coxae small, the hind ones 

 granulate and widely separated; hind tibiae not incrassate nor basally 

 constricted ; calcaria short, onychii and onyches small. Areolet wanting, 

 with the areolar nervure very short and remote from second recurrent; 

 parallel nervure emitted from centre of brachial cell ; nervellus not or 

 hardly geniculate. 



Table of Sj)ecies. 



(6). I. Hind co.xae nigrescent ; face and 



thorax immaculate. 

 (5). 2. Abdomen centrally, and hind femora, 



distinctly pale. 

 (4). 3. Second 9 flagellar joint short, eighth 



of J strongly excised .. i. ERYTHROSTOMUS, G^wc/. 



(3). 4. Second 9 flagellar joint elongate, 



eighth of ^ simple . . 2. MEDIATOR, SchiM. 



(2). 5. Abdomen with only incisures pale; 



hind femora dark . . . . 3. BOREALIS, Holmgr. 



(i). 6. Hind coxae entirely pale; face and 



thor-ax white-marked . . • • 4- VARlUS, Hal. 



1. erYthrostomus, Gmel. 



Ichnctiiiion cryfhrosfoiiia, Gmel. S.N. 1790, 2721. Plectisciis crythrostoiua, 

 Gr. I.E. ii. 988; Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1854, p. 60 ; Brisch. Schr. Nat. Ges. 

 Danz. 1877, p. 7, <f . Helictes fiilvicornis, Hal. Ann. Nat. Hist. 18:^9, p. 115, ? . 

 Myiarthnis crythrostoiua, Forst. Verb. pr. Rheinl. 1871, p. 103, ? . Helictes 

 crytliros/oiiia, Thorns. O.E. xii. 1311, s ? . 



Head a little constricted posteriorly, with the vertex broad; eyes small 

 and cheeks elongate. Antennae almost shorter than thorax, with second 

 flagellar joint not twice longer than broad ; (J with the sixth to eighth 

 flagellar joints externally deeply emarginate, with the excision subdentate 

 at both extremities. Thorax with mesonotum very finely rugose and 

 notauli elongate, but not deeply impressed; metathorax transverse with 



