Spudas/iral 



BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 



139 



1. Kriechbaumeri, Bridg. 



Limncria Kricchbatiiiicri, liridg. Trans. Ent. Soc. 1882, p. 151 ; Bridg.-Pitcli, 

 Entom. 1885, p. 106, <i ? . Spiuiostica pctiolaris. Thorns. O.E. xi. 1123, cf ? . 



A black species, with the red legs basally black and hind tibiae basally 

 white; terebra hardly longer than basal segment and the mouth pale. 

 Length, 6-7 mm. 



The short, stout and apically incurved antennae, white tegulae, infus- 

 cate abdominal plica, hyaline wings emitting recurrent beyond centre of 

 subsessile areolet are distinctive. The legs in life are a beautiful clear 

 fulvous; the hind tarsal joints are apically black and the ^ flagellum sub- 

 fusiform and stout. 



The sexual types were bred by Bignell on 20th April, 1882, from half- 

 grown larvae of Tacniocampa instabiUs, but this name is evidently a mis- 

 print — corrected at Entom. 1882, p. 60 — for Bignell wrote ( Kntom. 1882, 

 p. 215) that he had raised it "from the larva of Tainmampa stahilis, and 

 it always emerges when its victim is nearly ready to moult for the fourth 

 time. Its cocoon is oval in shape, and of a chocolate colour, with a 

 central whity-brt)wn zone, and is 6 mm. in length and 4 in breadth. I 

 have known it to jump four feet in a horizontal direction, and about two 

 feet when a perpendicular bound has been tried. I have closely watched 

 it many times, but could never see any preparation by contraction or 

 otherwise before the jump; and from experiments I have made with 

 cocoons I am convinced that the jumping is done to secure for themscivi's 



