228 BRITISH [CHNEUMONS. [ Mesoleptus 
prominent spiracles. Legs slender, the anterior pale testaceous with the 
dark-marked coxae and trochanters flavous; hind ones dull flavidous with 
coxae and base of trochanters black, the tarsi with apices of their tibiae 
nigrescent; base and apex or upper side of hind femora often infuscate ; 
calcaria elongate and white. Stigma and tegulae flavidous; areolet want- 
ing; nervellus antefurcal, intercepted below centre. Length, 8—9 mm. 
The sternum is sometimes apically, with rarely the extreme apex of 
scutellum, flavous. 
It is known from Piedmont, Switzerland, Sweden and France, so no 
reason is apparent for absence from Britain. I should, however, have 
had some hesitation in depending upon Desvignes’ record of this species 
as British, through specimens in Curtis’ collection, were it not that Elliott 
tooka @ at Braemar on 22nd August, 1907, and Piffard has given mea g 
(differing in nothing but the peculiarly dentiform petiolar spiracles) from 
Felden, near Boxmoor, in Herts during 1899. I have uo doubt that 
Brischke’s species, recorded from Britain (Trans. Ent. Soc. 1882, p. 155) 
and taken at Bickleigh by Bignell at the end of June, 1881, is correctly 
here synonymised; there is also a specimen from Lidford in Marshall’s 
collection, Yerbury has given me a 2 from Barmouth at the end of June 
and I took another sucking the stylopods of Angelica sylvesiris at Brandon 
as late as 28th September, 1907. Stenton turned up a pair at Wimbledon 
as late as 6th October, 1910. 
14. leptocerus, Grav. 
Ichneumon leptocerus, Gr. Mem. Ac. Sc. Torin. 1820, p. 365. Mesoleptus 
leptocerus, Gr. 1. E. ii. 68, ¢ (sic 2). Phobetes leptocerus, Pfank. Zeits. Hym.- 
Dip. 1906, p. 28, ¢ (nec Thoms.). 
Head posteriorly but little constricted with only clypeus and mouth, 
except apices of mandibles, which have lower tooth the longer, flavous. 
Antennae slender, fully as long as body, with scape flavous beneath. A 
flavous callosity beneath radices; arevla narrow and slightly constricted 
at base and apex. Abdomen elongate, black with the three basal seg- 
ments and part of fourth flavescent red, darker in 9; basal segment 
elongate, with feeble carinae extending to the spiracles. Anterior legs 
flavescent, with their coxae and all the trochanters stramineous white; 
hind coxae and their femora testaceous, extreme apices of latter black; 
hind tibiae dull flavous with their apices broadly, and tarsi, black; cal- 
caria white and elongate. Stigma dark ferrugineous, radix and tegulae 
flavous; areolet wanting. Length,g—r1omm. 4 9. 
This species has much the facies of A/exefer; it is at once known by its 
black face, basally pale abdomen and lack of areolet. 
All previous records, but the original one from Piedmont, are doubtful. 
There is a single 9, described above, in Marshall's collection from 
Botusfleming in Cornwall; two from Desvignes’ in the British Museum; 
and Bignell says he captured it at Plym Bridge in Devon on 21st Sep- 
tember, but this was probably named by Bridgman and is more likely 
referable to Thomson’s species, which Pfankuch says is distinct from the 
present and I have seen nothing like it.* 
_ *I do not know upon what grounds Marshallincluded Mesoleptus cerinostomus, Grav. I.E. ii. 61,3, 
in his 1870 British list. No one was able to recognise it till the type was examined and thought to 
belong to Phobetes by Pfankuch in 1906. There are no indigenous records and it were better omitted 
until further evidence be forthcoming. 
