Homoctdus | BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 93 


of ¢ longer than broad; second sometimes more or less distinctly trans- 
impressed ; anus of ? slightly compressed. Legs fulvescent and in g 
paler ; hind tarsi and apices of their tibiae nigrescent ; trochanters and 
the hind tibiae, except at their apices, white. Length, 5s;—8 mm. 
Instantly known from all other Bassides by the colouration of the 
thorax and the scutellum. 
This is certainly an uncommon species with us though Dr. Capron used 
to find it plentifully about Shere in Surrey, twenty-five years ago, and 
there is a long series in his collection. It would appear commoner on 
the Continent, where it ranges through Belgium, Sweden, Silesia, Austria 
and France ; M. de Gaulle records it (Cat.) as having been bred from 
both the geometrid moth, Larentia berberata and the sawfly, 7richiocam- 
pus viminalis ; but I consider Hern. Tischbein found the more correct 
host when, as stated by Ratzeburg (/.c.), he bred it from the larvae of a 
Syrphus fly, which was probably S. da/teatus ; and Dours (Cat. 56) also 
tells us it has been bred ‘‘de divers Syrphus.” It is probable that Bridg- 
man misunderstood this species, for neither he nor Bignell mention it in 
the very full lists of their respective districts, though Haliday’s diary, in 
Dublin Museum, records it commonly from Ireland. It is only recorded 
from the Isle of Man, on Francis Walker’s authority by Marshall (Entom. 
1872-3, p. 432) who took it himself at Lastingham in Yorks, Cornworthy 
and Bishops Teignton in Devon; and trom Hastings by Rev. E. N. 
Bloomfield. Wilson Saunders found it in Surrey; I have beaten it from 
birch bushes in the Assington Thicks in Suffolk, on 17th May, 1901, and 
Tuddenham Fen on z1st June, rg0g; and a dead female was found in a 
garden greenhouse at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, on 17th August, 1903. 
5. caudatus, Thoms. 
Homoporus caudatus, Thoms. O. E. xiv. 1499; Morl. Trans. Ent. Soc. 1905, 
p. 426, ¢ ?. 
A fragile, black and shining species with pale legs. Head fully as 
broad as thorax, strongly transverse ; frons smooth and centrally sulcate ; 
clypeus convex and, with the palpi, alone flavous ; mandibles ferrugineous, 
face immuculate black and centrally elevated. Antennae much shorter 
than the expanded wings, flavescent beneath. Thorax closely punctate 
with only a minute flavous dot before the stramineous tegulae; meta- 
thorax rugose with very indistinct traces of central areae. Scutellum 
immaculate black. Abdomen entirely black above with the two basal 
segments subquadrate and subscabriculous to the distinct transverse im- 
pression at the apical third of the latter, whence the abdomen to the 
strongly deplanate anus is punctate and very strongly nitidulous ; ventral 
plica on the three basal segments testaceous; terebra slightly exserted. 
Legs slender and fulvous with only the coxae and hind tarsi nigrescent, 
the trochanters and calcaria stramineous. Length, 44 mm. 
The male is said to differ in having the face and mouth pale testaceous, 
epistoma sometimes black, antennae stramineous beneath, segments 
three and four fasciated, and the second margined with white-testaceous, 
anterior coxae entirely, the hind ones apically, and all the trochanters 
stramineous, anterior femora and tibiae pale, and the hind tarsi subinfus- 
cate above. Length, 3 mm. 
