264 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. [Notoirachys 



Marshall in 1872 considered this species as doubtfully British; and all 

 our authors seem to have overlooked the only definite indif^^enous record, 

 which is to be found in Abel Ingpen's "Instructions," 1839, p. 62, where 

 Southend in Essex is f^iven as the local habitat of " Trachynotus foleator'''' 

 and Desvignes' three females, in the National Collection as early as 1856, 

 may have ori,<>;inated there; it was known to Westwood in 1840. But I, 

 like Brid<(. -Fitch, "know of no recent captures. It should occur with us, 

 as the species is trenerally distributed," occurring about oaks in the late 

 summer, though much commoner in some than in other years. It is not 

 rare in Sweden, Petersburg, Holland (figured in Voll. Schetsen, i, pi. ii, 

 fig. 23), somewhat frequent in Belgium, (^icrmany, France, Spain at Elche 

 and Algeciras, near Vienna, in Piedmont, Parma and Sicily; Marshall 

 has given me several from Ajaccio and the Rev. F. D. Morice from the 

 Pisa coast in the middle of May, whence it extends through Albania and 

 Corfu, Athens and 01ymi)ia, across Persia to India, becoming gradually 

 gayer and of more varied coloration as it proceeds eastwards; and it is 

 not infrequently found through Tunis to Algeria. Its confirmation as 

 British will rest with our coleopterists, for it was once bred by Perris 

 from the Cistelid beetle, Hymcnonis Doublicri, Muls. (Giraud, Ann. Soc. 

 Fr. 1877, p. 403), which has a distribution through southern France, 

 Borussia and the Tyrol; and once from its close relative, Gonodera [Eryx) 

 ?nelanarius, Germ, {/car'is, Rosh.), of Gennany and northern Italy (Gaulle, 

 Cat. 72). 



OPHION, Fabric! us. 

 Fab. E.S. Suppl. (1798), 210. 



Head usually constricted posteriorly, clypeus hardly discreted and apic- 

 ally truncate with distinct basal foveae, eyes internally emarginate, ocelli 

 large, mandibles .stout and apically equally bidentate. Antennae multi- 

 articulate and usually very slender. Thorax obsoletely sculptured with 

 metathoracic areae rarely entire, usually one or two transcarinae alone 

 strong, spiracles sublincar. Abdomen petiolate and strongly compressed 

 with basal segment usuallv sublinear throughout, rarely apically intumes- 

 cent, spiracles distinctly beyond its centre; terebra not longer than the 

 subtruncate anal apex. Legs slender and strongly elongate, tibiae always 

 bicalcarate and claws densely pectinate. Wings ample and often large, 

 rarely with glabrcais area below stigma and never with corneous marks 

 therein; second recurrent emitted from cubital before the submarginal 

 nervure. Large insects, with the colour usually testaceous. 



The cocoons of this genus are familiar objects to the pupa-digger at the 

 base of trees. They are all broadly cylindrical, hardly twice longer than 

 broad and of equal breadth at both extremities, black or brown, usually 

 with a paler central girdle and often of beautiful iridescent colours, 

 especially internally. In every instance the parasite allows its host to go 

 to earth and in the case of the smaller kinds to pupate, since the para- 

 site's cocoon is found within the Noctuid host's chrysalis; though in the 

 case of Bombyces and other cocoon-weavers I have never discovered that 

 they attain the pupal condition. The attraction exercised by sweets for 

 the perfect insects of this genus is known to everyone, and lepidopterists 

 very frequently find them upon their sugared trees ; like testaceous 

 Hymenoptera in general, they are said to he nocturnal in their habits, 

 though I think too little evidence has at present been adduced to prove 

 the supposition. 



