Ms'M//on/x] HklllSIl ICHNEUMONS. 331 



face lU'wr nitircl)- pak'. It is soiiu-w hat similar in shaj)c and i:()l()ur<ili(jn 

 to the common J/, con/iisi/s, but is much smaller with the radius much 

 more apical ly curved. Some confusion appears to have existed between 

 the present sinn-ies and M. fiixdioniix, Brisch. (</. Trans. 1-Jit. Soc. 1M86, 



P- 354)- . , , 



Originally bred from Boinbyx pmi in Prussia; common \w Sweden; 

 France; Belgium and Holland in July and August; Vienna; and bred in 

 Prussia froni both Campoplex and ]\[icrogasti'r species in larvae of Cidan'a 

 gii/iaria, EupUhccia cenfaunaria, Fidonia cebraria, Ciicul/ia orgcfiha and 

 Hypoiwmaila. In Britain, PifTard has found it at Felden in Herts; llridg- 

 man records it from Earlham and Mousehold near Norwich, and bred 

 from cocoons of both ApanUhs cougcstiis and A. zrgocnanim ; and Jordan 

 (PZ.iM.IM. i86q, p. 138) raised it solitarily at Birmingham from PUivplwrus 

 (LioptUiis) fcphradactyhis, together with— doubtless through — Rhogas 

 hicohr, Spin, In my experience it is an autumn species occurring on 

 thistles in the Bentley woods as late as i6th November; I have also 

 found it on water-plants in Ciritnam Wood in the New Forest at the end 

 of August, and in a l\\de t;reenhouse early in September. Dr. Chapman 

 has given me a female, which emerged on August 5th, through an Apon- 

 tchs cocoon, from a caterpillar of the rare Continental Lvduna orbHtilus, 

 found on July ist; the cocoon was spun under the larva, "at least the 

 lAXiuna larva was sitting on the cocoon and remained there till its death, 

 some ten days after it was found; the Lycania was in its penultimate skin 

 and had fed little, if at all, after hibernaticjn." 



21. brevipetiolatus, Ralz. 



Mesochonis brevifycfioUitiis, Ratz. Ichn. d. Forst. i. 14S; iii. 117; Brisch. Schr, 

 Nat. Ges. Danz. 1880, p. 181, rf ? . 



An infuscate piceous or badious species. Head short and broader than 

 lliorax, posteriorly constricted; palpi, mandibles except apically, genal 

 apices and inner orbits llavidous; 9 with outer orbits narrowly red and J 

 with whole face also flavidous. Antennae infuscate and in J basallv paler 

 beneath. Thorax with radical callosities pale flavous; of (^ with pro- 

 thorax and })leurae subrufescent. Abdomen with the second segment 

 apically flavidous, and the third in V basally rufe.scent and in (5 apically 

 testaceous throughout; petiole broad and less than half length of basal 

 segment; poslpetiole not margined, with one or three superficial sulci. 

 Legs testaceous, with hind coxae and their femora red ; apices and ex- 

 treme base of hind tibiae, and their tarsi, infuscate with base of latter 

 pale. Stigma infuscate piceous, basally pale; tegulae whitish; areolet 

 not or shortly petiolate, emitting recurri-nt nervure at or before its centre; 

 basal nervure continuous. Length, +-0 nun. 



Brischke says the mesont)tum of both sexi'S is occasionally red with 

 black markings, and that the J somelimi's has tlu' hind coxae and their 

 femora mainly black. 



This is a central European species, lirst bred by Kat/.eburg from A'oi/na 

 pinipcrda in Prussia ; subsequently, and also in Prussia, Brischke says 

 "Aus C(i/f/pop/t x-Cocon^ von Raupen der pAipHhaia ptiiipin<lltin\i, suc- 

 ctnlKiiaiia, intiolata, und aus Microgiis/cr-Cocow'^, \on Ciittdlni iirl/iisct, 

 Eupithccia sucanltiruiria und d/gi/o/itirhi, PsiudopUnia cvl/iisariii, Chcsms 

 spar/iana, Argy tint's Lalonta und Diloba cocrulcoiephala, Zygiumi, aus Rogas 



