142 BRITISH I[CHNEUMONS. [ Mesoleius 

their metatarsi, black scutellum, more coarctate metanotum and strongly 
punctate face, and in the longer petiole. 
The above description is taken from Desvignes’ type in Mus. Brit., 
which he tells us (/oc. c’t.) was already there in 1856; Stephens’ collection 
was received in 1854 and this specimen is marked with his label. No 
doubt can remain that it belongs to Thomson’s subgenus Polp/reres, 
though the postpetiole but not petiole is laterally margined. 
3. sepulchralis, Holmgr. 
Mesoletus sepulchralis, Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1876, p. 10, ¢; Bridg. Trans. 
Ent. Soc. 1854, p. 432; E. M. M. 1884, p. 228, ¢. 
Head obviously constricted posteriorly, anteriorly triangular; clypeus 
discreted, basally narrow and subcoarctate, apically truncate and hardly 
margined ; mandibles broad and prominent with subequal teeth, cheeks 
as long as their base ; mouth of Q piceous, ¢ with face and clypeus and 
mandibles white. Antennae with the flagellum of both sexes centrally 
white-banded. Thorax not stout, black with white ¢ callosity before 
radices ; mesonotum closely and finely punctate, with evanescent notauli ; 
mesopleurae coriaceously punctate, with speculum much smoother though 
alutaceous ; metathorax alutaceous, finely punctate with areae wanting 
and at most the pleural costae distinct. Scutellum black. Abdomen 
immaculate black ; basal segment a little longer than hind coxae, not 
broad, gradually dilated apically, with neither sulcus nor carinae: second 
segment nitidulous with distinct thyridii, the following gradually becom- 
ing smoother ; terebra apically truncate and not extending beyond anus. 
Legs somewhat slender, black with the anterior tarsi, tibiae and apices of 
femora testaceous in 9, stramineous in ¢; ¢@ with anterior coxae and 
all trochanters white ; hind legs elongate with tarsi spinulose and their 
second to fourth or fifth joints white, g with basal half of hind tibiae 
white. Wings with no areolet, stigma infuscate testaceous, tegulae at 
least in 2 piceous; nervellus subopposite. Length, 12 mm. 
Very like Luryproctus annulatus, but with the areola and areolet want- 
ing, the basal segment and terebra shorter, etc. The large size and 
distinctive colouration render it conspicuous in the present genus. 
The female was described from Sweden, and Gaulle records it from 
France. Dr. J. A. Osborne in his Observations on the Parthenogenesis 
of Zaraca fasciata tells us (E. M. M. 1883, p. 147) that from this sawfly 
“Tchneumons, apparently of two species [probably the sexes of the 
present one |, made their appearance as usual, on the average a good deal 
later than the saw-flies, so that the larvae of the latter might be grown 
enough to receive their eggs, a Zaraea larva nourishing only one ichneu- 
mon by which it is entirely consumed.” At /vb. cet, xx, 1884, p. 228, 
Bridgman identifies this parasite: ‘‘ The ichneumons bred by Dr. Osborne 
from Zaraea are Mesoletus sepulchralis, new to Britain,” introduced by him 
upon both sexes from the same source at Trans. Ent. Soc. 1884, p. 432. 
In a Postscript to his earlier paper, Osborne adds (E. M. M. xxi, 1884, 
p. 128) that of the three hundred and ten Zaraea cocoons, found by him 
at Milford near Letterkenny in Ireland, twenty-eight yielded ichneumons. 
