162 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. [ Mesoleius 

to differ in little more than the black scutellum and paler hind tibiae; the 
sternum is sometimes partly rosy. I have also ventured to tentatively 
synonymise JZ. parvus, which no one has noticed but Holmgren who tells 
us it differs from JZ. v7gens in nothing but its smaller size of only 5 mm. 
and in the weaker sculpture of the strongly nitidulous and very finely alu- 
taceous mesopleurae. 
M. vigens was recorded from Earlham in August in Bridgman’s account 
of Norfolk Ichneumonidae (Trans. Norf. Soc. 1894, p. 625), together 
with a specimen from the same place at the same time, doubtfully re- 
ferred to J/. parvus. Mr. Champion has given mea female, named JZ. 
vigens by Bridgman, which the former took at Aviemore in Inverness 
during 1876, and this agrees in every way with the description of that 
species and with Stephens’ well-preserved type of 7. maculicollis, from 
near London in July, now in Mus. Brit., excepting in its slightly longer 
petiolar discal carinae, somewhat more distinct areola and rather larger 
size. I beat an analogous female, with two co-specific males described 
above, on 6th September, 1910, from a large birch tree overhanging the 
road at Covehithe, near the Suffolk coast. A female, differing in its 
stramineous anterior coxae and trochanters, and concolorous pronotum 
and humeral marks, occurred to me on 19th July, 1910, on the top of 
Carramore Hill (500 feet) at Louisburgh, Co. Mayo. 
30. sternoxanthus, Grav. 
Tryphon sternoxanthus, Gr. 1. E. ii. 178; Ste. Ill. M. vii. 240, ¢. Mesoleius 
pulchellus, Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1855, p. 156; Kriech. Progr. Gymn. Pola, 
1894, p.22, ¢ ?. M. languidulus, Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1855, p. 161 ; Brisch. 
Schr. Nat. Ges. Danz. 1878, p.84, ¢ ¢. M. sternoxanthus, Holmgr. Sv. Ak. 
Handl. 1855, p. 160; 7.c. 1876, p. 27; Thoms. O. E. xix. 2051, ¢ ¢. 
Head posteriorly constricted ; mouth, clypeus, the short cheeks, whole 
in @ or except a central line in 9 of face, and the @ frontal orbits, 
flavous ; clypeus of ¢ apically broadly rounded with the margin narrowly 
deplanate on either side, of ? apically slightly emarginate ; face narrower 
than frons. Antennae slender, piceous and longer than body with scape 
flavous, flagellum dull ferrugineous, beneath. Thorax with lateral 
mesonotal fasciae or in 9 spots, a dot before and little line below radices, 
the sternum and lower part of pleurae, flavous; prothoracic margins and 
pectoral marks often fulvous ; mesopleurae very shining and very smooth 
above, mesosternum laterally sparsely and obsoletely punctate ; areola 
either subparallel-sided, narrow with fine costae or nearly wanting. 
Scutellum of ¢ entirely, of 2 often only lined with, flavous. Abdomen 
subfusiform and somewhat nitidulous with venter and apices of all discal 
segments flavous; basal segment longer than hind coxae and not broad 
with sulcus centrally obsolete and extending beyond centre, apical angles 
obtuse; second quadrate with distinct thyridii; hypopygium in 2 extend- 
ing to anus, terebra stout with black valvulae. Legs normal, pale red; 
anterior coxae and trochanters stramineous ; hind tarsi and apices of their 
tibiae indeterminately infuscate. Wings with no, or hardly any, areolet ; 
stigma infuscate, radix and tegulae whitish; nervellus elongately ante- 
furcal. Length, 7 mm. 
This species is well known in Sweden, Germany and France; it was 
recorded as British by Stephens in 1835 and has stood in our catalogues 
