122 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
the emergence of the parasite larva from its host and the 
appearance of the imago, at any rate in the spring brood. 
Bred by me from larve of T'riphena (Agrotis) fimbria, April 
29th, 1909, April 28rd, 1912, and other dates; Agrotis (Lyco- 
photia) strigula, April 18th, 1911; Noctua (Segetia) xantho- 
grapha, April 20th, 1911, April 11th, 1911, and other dates; 
Triphena (Agrotis) pronuba, April 7th, 1911, April 18th, 1912; 
and from a cocoon beaten from oak, June 16th, 1911. 
More than one writer has mentioned that a permanently 
testaceous variety exists of some species of Meteorus, and after 
examining several specimens, and comparing them with the 
original description, I have come to the conclusion that 
M. unicolor (Wesm.) is merely a _ testaceous variety of 
M. scutellator.* 
M. versicolor (Wesm.).—Considerable confusion seems to 
have arisen concerning this species. Wesmael mentions having 
bred it gregariously at Charleroy, from a larva of Bombyx 
cassinea (Fab.), the cocoons being brown, and connected by a few 
threads of silk; he also states that the terebra is equal in length 
to the abdomen. In the specimens since recorded, the length of 
the terebra is given as only half the abdomen, so that even allow- 
ing for the fact that Wesmael sometimes rather exaggerated 
the length of this organ, one can hardly suppose that he would 
double it. Again, all recent specimens are mentioned as being 
solitary parasites making pendulous cocoons. 
It would therefore seem possible that we are wrong in 
referring the insects mentioned below to M. versicolor, as I am 
convinced we should be wrong in so referring the light forms 
mentioned by Marshall (var. bimaculatus). 
On May 7th, 1912, I bred an example of Marshall’s var. 
(3 from a cocoon which fell into my tray while beating young 
birch-trees for larve of Geometra papilionaria. Bignell records 
the breeding of a similar specimen from a larva of G. papilio- 
naria, June 7th, 1883. 
The cocoon is pendulous, shining, and much darker than 
that of any other Meteorus with which I am acquainted. 
M. bimaculatus (Wesm.).—Although Marshall considered this 
to be merely a variety of M. versicolor, I feel sure, after referring 
to the original descriptions and examining a large number of 
specimens, that it is a distinct species. MM. bimaculatus has the 
wings somewhat infumated, especially in the male, and the base 
of the petiole and first abdominal segment are never white, 
though the former is pale. In Wesmael’s description of the 
female, the two dark spots on the first abdominal segment are 
mentioned as being triangular and elongate; it would perhaps 
** Since writing the above I have been much interested to find that 
Thomson advanced this view; see ‘Opuscula Entomologica,’ ii. p. 112. 
