332 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. \_Mesochonis 



in Raupeii von Dasvchira Sihniiua und aus Raupcn von rpouomcuta cvony- 

 mclla erzogan." It is found in France ; but there seem to be no British 

 records since its inclusion in Marshall's 1872 Catalogue, and I have not 

 met with it. 



22. tachypus, Holiiigr. 



Mcsochonis taclivpiis, Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1858, p. 130; Thorns. Ann. Soc. 

 Ent. France, 1885, p. 342, j ? . 



A black and distinctly slender species with the orbits stramineous 

 white, the legs rufescent and hind ones black-marked. Head little con- 

 stricted posteriori)', with occiput broadly but not deeply emarginate ; face 

 punctate and centrally elevated ; 9 with mouth, mandibles except apic- 

 ally and the inner orbits pale flavous, ^ also with orbits broadly, the 

 cheeks apically, clypeus and face flavidous. Antennae piceous, of $ 

 shorter than, of ^ basally paler beneath and about length of, the body. 

 Thorax narrower than head, black with its disc and sides more or less 

 red-marked and more extensively in ^, whose prothorax is usually flavi- 

 dous ; pleurae sparsely })unctate and centrally glabrous ; metathorax with 

 complete upper areae. Abdomen narrow and rather longer than head 

 and thorax, black with second segment apically testaceous and the third 

 rarely badious; basal segment slightly curved and the second longiT than 

 broad ; hypopygium of ? prominent and terebra as long as basal seg- 

 ment. Legs slender and rufescent or in (^ flavidous, with the anterior 

 basally paler ; extreme base and apex of hind tibiae, and their tarsi, 

 piceous; onychii stout and claws only basally pectinate. Wings h)-aline, 

 with stigma usually piceous and tegulae whitish ; areolet somewhat large, 

 emitting recurrent nervure slightly before its centre ; basal nervure con- 

 tinuous. Length, 6 mm. 



Similar and allied to M. pcc/oralis in colour, etc., but with the flagellum 

 basally pale and less slender, the wings less pure hyaline with the areolar 

 petiole a little longer, the thorax strongly elongate with the petiolar area 

 a little longer, the terebra stouter and the frontal orbits with a dilated 

 stramineous mark above scrobes. 



It has not been bred on the Continent, where it occurs in France, 

 Sweden and Belgium during May, July and September. But in Britain 

 Cross raised it from Eiipithecia 7niniitata, Gn., var. Kiiaii/ia/a, Greg. 

 (Trans. Ent. Soc. 1-886, p. 353) ; subsequently Bridgman found it at Sal- 

 house and Norwich, and recorded W. Fletcher's breeding from Eupitlucia 

 larkiata (Norf. List). I possess two males: bred by Dr. Cassal at Medge 

 Hall near Doncaster in 1901 from Eiipiihecia ? linariata feeding on toad- 

 flax; and taken by myself early in July, 1900, flying along the edge of a 

 field immediately after rain at Southwold in Suffolk. 



23. anomalus, Holmgr. 



Mcsochonis anoiiuilns, Hulmj^r. Sv. Ak. Handl. 18.58, p. 130; Briscli. Sclir. 

 Nat. Ges. Danz. 1880, p. 182; Thorns. Ann. Soc. lint. France, 1.S85, p. 342, j ? . 



A black sj^ecies with the abdomen centrally, and the legs, red ; apices 

 of hind tibiae black. Head somewhat constricted posteriorly, testaceous 

 with mouth paler, vertex and ocellar region and occiput nigrescent ; 

 cheeks not short. Antennae pale and fully as long as body. Thorax 

 longer than high, with callosities before radices and the ^ pleurae rufes- 



