Nsonian OEPY 2 
saben —_—— 
THE pl OMSae 
Roe. XUIX JUNE, TSG: [No. 637 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE 
BRITISH BRACONIDA. 
No. 3.—MIcROoGASTERIDE. 
By Gy To Lyte, hes: 
No more interesting or more puzzling tribe occurs in the 
Braconideé than that of which I am treating in this paper. The 
insects being generally small in size, obscure in colouring, with 
but few characters by which to distinguish the species, and very 
numerous, an enormous amount of work is required before our 
knowledge of even the British species will be anything approach- 
ing complete. Many species are of considerable economic 
- importance; for instance, the well-known Apanteles glomeratus, 
which preys principally on the larve of the Large White Butterfly 
(Pieris brassice), and A. picipes, which does much to keep down 
that pest, the Garden Pebble Moth (Pionea forficalis). For this 
reason alone the group well repays study. 
I have again to thank many entomologists who have 
presented me with specimens they have bred, greatly to their 
disgust, I fear, and shall always be glad to see and name, if 
possible, any bred Braconide that may be sent to me. 
I.must also thank Mr. B. 8. Harwood for allowing me to 
examine at my leisure a large number of insects from Fitche’s 
collection which are now in his possession, and also Dr. R. C. L. 
Perkins, Dr. D. Sharp, and Mr. W. J. Lucas, who have assisted 
me in various ways. 
In the following notes, where not otherwise stated, the 
records are my own, and the insects have been captured and 
bred in the New Forest. 
Microgasteride and Agathide together formed Wesmael’s 
division Areolarii, distinguished by the smallness of the second 
cubital cell. In Agathide the radial cell is also small, while in 
Microgasteride it is large. 
The following characters are given for Microgasteride by 
Marshall (‘ Trans. Entom. Soe.,’ 1) £885,005 LDL): 
ENTOM.—JUNE, 1916. M 
