CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF BRITISH BRACONIDAS. 951 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE 
BRITISH BRACONIDA. 
No. 3.—MIcROGASTERID™. 
By G, T. Lyte, F.E.S. 
(Continued from p. 232.) 
Caie, Bouché.* 
To all lepidopterists who have collected larvee of Aretia cau 
and A. villica with the idea of breeding varieties, this species 1s 
only too well known. It may be distinguished from its near 
relatives by the large ventral valve and subexserted terebra of 
the female, and also by the belly being testaceous at the base. 
Cocoons dirty white, with a very faint pinkish tint, not 
attached to the host as in insidens, but usually scattered owing 
to the host moving about during the time the parasite larve are 
emerging. Colthrup has given me several broods obtained from 
larve of A. caia taken in Surrey, Sussex, and Kent, and I have 
also broods from Cheshire. In June, 1908, I bred large numbers 
from the same host taken at Canford Cliffs, Bournemouth. The 
insects usually emerge from their cocoons from the middle to the 
end of June. On account of the cocoons being scattered it is 
somewhat difficult to estimate the usual number of insects in a 
brood, but I believe it to be very considerable ; indeed, Bignell 
records as many as 180.t 
Gracilis, Curtis.{ 
Among the insects obtained by Harwood from the Fitch 
collection are two females without data, but labelled ‘ gracilis.” 
They agree with Haliday’s description excepting that the 
trochanters are not dark but testaceous. The terebra slightly 
surpasses the apex of the abdomen. 
Nothus, Reinh.§ 
On June 26th, 1911, I bred, from a small larva of Phigalia 
pedaria three insects, two male and one female, which I must 
refer to this species, as the wings are somewhat dusky and the 
second segment of the abdomen is shorter than the third. The 
second abdominal segment is impressed with converging curved 
lines as in difjcilis, and the terebra slightly surpasses the apex 
of the abdomen. j;My insects agree with Marshall’s description 
excepting that the trochanters are not entirely dark but partly 
testaceous. Cocoons pure white. 
The species is very close to gracilis and may very possibly be 
the same. 
* ‘Naturg.,’ 1834, p. 403. 
+ ‘Trans. Dev. Ass.,’ Xxxiil, p. 657. 
1B. H., 321. 
§ M.S., see Marshall, ‘ Trans. Entom. Soc., 1885, p. 187. 
