Metopius | BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. f 

Moor in 1878 (Bairstow, Trans. Yorks. Un. 1882, p. 107); “captured on 
flowers of umbelliferae on woodsides in July; taken also in the Plymouth 
district” (Parfitt, Ichn. of Devon). There are two specimens in Bridg- 
man’s collection at Norwich, one of which, he tells us, was captured at 
Brundall and adds that Paget records it from about Yarmouth. Its only 
record (Entom. xvi, p. 67) from Bombyx callunae is probably an error (cf. 
also Nat. Journ. 1899, p. 14). My only g was captured by Mr. Char- 
bonnier in 1go00 near Bristol; I have @ 2 taken by the late C. J. Wat- 
kins at Painswick in Gloucester and by Atmore, who told me they were 
not rare, in a town garden in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, in July, 1903. There 
are a dozen specimens in the National Collection from Stephens’ and 
Desvignes’ collections, one of which is from Dr. Leach’s, and another 
(probably that referred to above) as bred from S/auropus fagi, as also is a 
specimen from Stephens’ “Economic” cabinet. Dominique states that 
M. necatorius attacks both, Gastropacha lanestris and Agrotis fimbria. 
3. fuscipennis, Wesm. 
Metopius scrobiculatus, Htg. Jahresb. 1838, p. 272; Ratz. Ichn. d. Forst. i. 
122; cf. lib. cit. ii. 109 et iii. 117, 175 (?). M. fuscipennis, Wesm. Bull. Ac. 
Brux. 1849, p. 623; Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1855, p. 372; Thoms. Deut. Ent. 
Zeit. 1887, p. 194, ¢ ¢ ; Voll. Pinac. pl. xvi, fig. 1. 
Head with an erect and strongly acute horn behind the antennae; 
facial margin elevated and nearly always flavous, with a concolorous dot 
at the juxta-antennal orbits; mandibles apically acute and not 
emarginate. Antennae dull ferrugineous, with the scape flavous-marked, 
beneath. Thorax black with a flavous dot at basal angles of the 
scutellum, sometimes wanting in 6; notauli extending to disc of 
mesonotum but not deep; sternauli broad and deeply impressed ; 
metathoracic costae somewhat distinct, basal area well defined. Scu- 
tellum black; postscutellum rarely flavescent centrally. Abdomen 
rugulosely punctuate and black with a purpurascent reflection, and the 
second to fifth or sixth segments apically flavous: basal segment with 
distinct lateral costae and the discal carinae subrectangularly declived 
beyond the centre; second distinctly impressed laterally. Legs either 
entirely black or with the front femora apically castaneous beneath ; hind 
femora stout and subfusiform. Wings distinctly infumate, the front ones 
with the costal margin darker; radix and tegulae black, stigma piceous, 
areolet sessile. Length, g—11 mm. 
Very like JZ. micratorius but with the basal segment and all the legs 
usually immaculate, a distinct frontal excrescence, etc.; the strongly 
infumate and apically subnigrescent front wings will instantly distinguish 
it from the remainder of our indigenous species. 
It has not hitherto been recorded from Britain, but was extremely 
probable to occur here since it is found throughout western Europe, in 
Sweden, Belgium, France, etc. Its economy is still a moot point: 
Vollenhoven says (/. c. p. 26), “The species described by Hartig is stated 
by him to have been produced from Lophyrus Pini, which assertion was 
later supposed to be the result of a mistake, but nevertheless curiously 
coincides with another account, equally doubtful, according to which 
M. fuscipennis Wesm. was bred also from Lophyrus Pint by M. van 
Medenbach de Rooy.” Kirchner had also recorded this species from the 
same host in 1867. 
