A/ii[///aj BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 205 



Abdomen entirely black, with the second segment fully a third longer 

 than broad ; postpetiule hardly longer than broad ; anus compressed ; 

 ventral plica flavous ; terebra a little longer than the basal segment. 

 Femora deep red and slender with the posterior always basally black ; 

 anterior trochanters flavous; tibiae subtestaceous, with the hind ones 

 obsoletely binotated with black, and their tarsi infuscate with base paler. 

 Stigma dull stramineous; areolet subtriangular, shortly petiolate, emitting 

 recurrent nervure beyond its centre. Length, 5-6 mm. 



Distinguished from the whole remainder of the genus (excej)t perhaps 

 the next two) by having the apical abscissa of the radial nervure hardly 

 longer than the basal, tlic apex of the discoidal cell nearly rectangular 

 below, the calcaria of subequal length, the female face narrow and the 

 slender, nearly straight terebra only a third the length of the black abdo- 

 men, the seventh female segment of which is excised. The femora vary 

 considerably in colour and are sometimes piceous or nigrescent, but both 

 extremities of the hind ones are usually infuscate, and the base always. 



It is locally not uncommon in northern and central Europe ; France, 

 Belgium ; it occurs in Sweden during the latter half of July ; but 

 Brischke's Prussian records seem uncertain. It is only known as British 

 from Bignell's Devon record that it was "captured at Bickleigh, 3 May." 



37. variabilis, Bridg. 

 Limncria variabilis, Bridg. Trans. Ent. Soc. 1886, p. 352, j ? . 



A somewhat shining, black species. Head transverse, a little broader 

 than thorax, and sliglitly oblique posteriorly; face punctate, not broader 

 than long, and apically constricted ; eyes internally hardly emarginate, 

 apex of clypeus broadly rounded and laterally foveate ; centre of mandi- 

 bles piceous or dull flavous. Antennae of ^ about five-sixths the length 

 of the body, of 9 a little shorter. Thorax a third longer than high ; meso- 

 notum reticulate, with fine and sparse punctures ; metathorax nitidulous 

 and finely reticulate with areola pentagonal, longer than broad, apically 

 incomplete and laterally subparallel-sided ; costulae not very evident; 

 mesopleurae dull and finely reticulate with fine and sparse punctures, 

 speculum glittering. Abdomen immaculate black ; of $ subcylindrical 

 and of 9 fusiform, with the segments closely and finely white-pubescent, 

 their apical margins smooth and shining; basal segment as long as hind 

 coxae and trochanters, with petiole somewhat stout, slightly longer than 

 and about half the breadth of the laterally somewhat rounded postpetiole ; 

 second segment of 9 slightly longer than broad, of ^ a tliird longer, with 

 distinct gastrocoeli ; third segment the broadest, of 9 transverse, of J 

 subquadrate ; terebra not quite half length of abdomen. Legs normal and 

 variably red ; coxae and posterior trochanters black ; hind tarsi, their 

 femora nearly entirely and the intermediate basally nigrescent; posterior 

 tibiae infuscate-piceous at apices and before base ; hind tarsi with joints 

 often basally pale, their onyches finely punctate basally. Stigma more or 

 less deeply infuscate, tegulae flavous or pale piceous ; areolet broad, 

 petiolate or subsessile, emitting recurrent nervure beyond its centre; 

 nervellus subgeniculate, emitting no spurious nervure. Length, circa 4 nun. 



Hridgman considered that "This comes very near to f.imncria combinaia, 

 Holmg., but has the stigma of a dilTerent colour." 



The typical specimens of both sexes were bred by Fletcher during June, 

 1886, from Gdechia noiatella at Wicken in Cambridgeshire. 



