NEW SPECIES OF APANTELES. 17 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF APANTELES 

 FROM CEYLON. 



Bv P. Cameron. 



Apanieles acherontim, sp. nov. 



BLACK, the coxae, apex of hind tibiae somewhat broadly, the 

 apex of the basal joint of the first antennal joint narrowly, 

 of the others more broadly, black, the rest of the legs reddish yellow, 

 except that the trochanters are infuscated. Wings clear hyaline, 

 the costa, radius, and stigma black, the other nervures white. 

 Female and male. Length 2' 5 mm. Peradeniya, Ceylon. Bred b}' 

 Mr. E. Ernest Green from larva of Acherontia Inchests. 



Smooth, shining, the mesonotum finely, minutely punctured. 

 Basal segment of abdomen as long as it is wide, slightly gradually 

 widened, its sides furrowed, the furrows oblique; it is separated 

 from the second segment by a distinct transverse furrow. 



In the centre of the second segment is a raised pyriform area (the 

 narrowed end at tlie base) ; from the base of tliis a curved, distinct 

 furrow runs to the outer edge of the apex. Ovipositor short, very 

 slightly projecting. 



^.The fourth abdominal segment is longer than the second or third, 

 the latter being of equal length. Metanotum not keeled. Scutel- 

 lum raised, separated from the mesonotum by a shallow smooth 

 furrow ; on either side of the latter is a wider, more distinct, weakly 

 crenulated furrow. 



The larvae of this species, like many others of the genus, spin in 

 common a large egg-shaped cocoon of white cotton-like substance 

 of the length of 47 mm. and a breadth of 27 mm., having a peduncle 

 b)' means of which it is attached to a twig of about the same length 

 but very much thinner, the peduncle being about 2 mm. broad at 

 the top and about 10 at its junction with the common cocoon. 

 The larval cocoons are about 2 mm. in length and, like the outer 

 covering, are white. They are enveloped in the cottony mass, 

 which is much thicker and denser on the outer side than in the 

 inner where the cocoons are. It is not uncommon for the larvae 

 of A'panteles to spin tlieir cocoons in company around the caterpillar 

 upon which they have preyed, but I have never seen a pedunculated 

 common cocoon before. Being conspicuous objects, it is not 

 surprising to find that the larvae of A'panteles are preyed upon by 

 other Ichneumons, particularly Hemiteles and Mesochorus, as well 

 as by small Chalcididce. As Apanteles and its ally Microgaster are 

 among the commonest enemies of Lepidopterous larva?, and are 



v 8-07 



