Mesoleius | BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 157 

less discally, testaceous ; the two basal segments alutaceous and the first 
as long as hind coxae, with distinct basal fovea, but the discal sulcus and 
carinae obsolete or wanting. Legs red with the hind tarsi, tibiae and in 
Q apices of their femora, black; hind tibiae spinulose and broadly 
white-banded before their base. Wings with tegulae flavidous, areolet 
wanting or triangular with outer nervure weak ; recurrent nervure uni- or 
bi-fenestrate. Length, 6—9 mm. 
Holmgren’s original JZ. dudbius is said by Thomson to be distinct from 
that of 1876 and to be a @ variety of the present species with the venter 
basally white; Pfankuch tells us Gravenhorst’s var. 1 of JZ. aulicus is 
analogous. The dull speculum is characteristic of this and the next 
species. Much mixed with J/. armillatorius in our collections, but at 
once known by the alutaceous speculum and pale testaceous, never red, 
abdominal markings. 
A common species throughout nearly the whole of Europe; bred in 
Prussia by Brischke from larvae of Mematus fulvus (Schr. Phys. Ges. 
Konig. 1871, p. 73) and of Selandria ovata (Schr. Nat. Ges. Danz. 1878, 
p- 77), from Cladius viminalis on 22nd May (Ratz. Ichn. d. Forst. iii. 124) 
and from Lophyrus pind (Voll.).* With us it is frequent, especially in 
woods where it is usually taken by a swinging net without being seen 
about the end of May, but more often in August, when it sometimes 
occurs on reeds and flowers of Heracleum sphondylium, near willows. 
Combe Wood (Stephens’ coll.), Bishops Teignton, Barnstaple, Corn- 
worthy, Nunton and Botusfleming (Marshall),emerged from willow stump 
at York (Wilson, Trans. Yorks. Union, 1882, p. 107), Norwich (Bridgman). 
I possess it from Ewhurst in Sussex (Esam), Cuslop in Hereford (Yer- 
bury), Pannal near Harrogate in 1867 (Roebuck), Shere (Capron), and 
Greenings in Surrey (Saunders), Felden (Piffard), Oxshott on 2oth July 
(Beaumont) and Plymouth (Bignell). It is especially common in the New 
Forest, where I have found it at Hinchelsea, Denny Wood, Pondhead, 
Hurst Hill and Lyndhurst; in Suffolk it has occurred only in Tudden- 
ham Fen, very rarely in the Bentley Woods and at Foxhall; and in Nor- 
folk at Metton near Cromer. 
24. axillaris, Steph. 
Tryphon axillaris, Steph. lus. Mandib. vii. 256, ¢@. Mesoleius amabilis, 
Holmer. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1855, p. 144, cf. p. 380; Jb. cit. 1876, p. 20, ?; Thoms. 
OLE kik LOM ose 
Head with the mouth; face except a central @ vitta, clypeus, humeral 
marks, and ¢@ cheeks and sternum, flavous; apices of the abdominal seg- 
ments two to seven gradually more broadly pale testaceous, the third and 
rarely fourth with a central concolourous plaga; legs pale fulvous with 
* In The Journal of Economic Biology, 1910, pp. 92—94, Mr. fetch Mangan of the Manchester 
University makes ‘‘ Some Remarks on the Parasites of the large larch sawfly, Nematus Erichsonti,” 
in which he considers it evident that a more or less complete destruction of the larches, such as has 
taken place in certain extensive plantations, will become general in the Lake District. if the parasitic 
enemies of the sawfly fail to increase sufficiently to cope with the attack. ‘ By far the most impor- 
tant parasite of Nematus evichsonii as yet recorded in this country is the ichneumon Mesoletus aulicus, 
Grav.” Microcryptus labralis was also bred (I suggest hyperparasitically through the Mesoleius) from 
the sawfly cocoons. Now, Holcocneme Evichsoni, Htg., was confirmed as British by the Rev. F. D. 
Morice so lately as 1908 (E. M. M. p. ror) and no parasites have previously been mentioned from it, 
but Pteromalus Klugi by Ratzeburg and Perilissus lutescens by Brischke, of both of which Mr. Man- 
gan appears ignorant. Both Dr. Gordon Hewitt and Mr. Halbert of the Dublin Museum have given 
me examples of the Mesoleius bred from the Cumberland Holcocneme and they are certainly distinct 
from, though closely allied to, M. aulicus, Grav. I do not recognise the species, and have not met 
with it elsewhere ; it may be new, and I hope to refer again to it at some future time, 
