Lathrolestus } BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 279 


4. ungularis, Thoms. 
Lathrolestus ungularis, Thoms: O. E. ix. 918, ¢ 2. 
An obsoletely punctate and very strongly nitidulous species, with con- 
vex and black abdomen. Head black, with the vertex centrally mar- 
gined; ¢ with face, cheeks, temples, pro- and meso-notal marks, usually 
stramineous. Antennae slender, extending to centre of abdomen. 
Metathorax with a subarcuate transverse costa before its centre ; petiolar 
area elongate, basally explanate, extending beyond centre of metathorax 
and basally incomplete. Abdomen immaculate and strongly convex; 
basal segment petiolate, scabrous, broad with very strongly prominent 
spiracles. Legs flavous with the tarsi stramineous, their apical joint and 
the hind coxae alone black, and claws strongly pectinate. Length, 
3—4 mm. 
4 
The elongate petiolar area is peculiar to this species and the prominent 
petiolar spiracles remarkable. 
It was first introduced under the queried name Grypocentrus clypeatus, 
Zett. ef Hlmgr., and was taken close to Norwich on gth June, 1878, by 
Bridgman (Trans. Ent. Soc. 1882, p. 158); but his error was corrected 
by Thomson (/:6. c##. 1886, p. 360), to whom he sent the specimen. Else- 
where it is only known from Sweden, though I have constantly found it 
an abundant species in Suffolk; I first met with it upon pine as early as 
26th April, 1897, and have taken it annually, often in considerable num- 
bers, upon birch bushes from six to eight feet in height from 16th May 
to 16th of June only, both in the Bentley Woods and Assington Thicks 
near Sudbury; I have been unable to ascertain its host, which is doubt- 
less some common birch-feeding Nemafus or Fenusa nigricans, Klug. 
Bignell has given mea male from the Plymouth district; and Stenton 
takes it commonly from June to August at Wimbledon in Surrey. 
