22 Rev. T. A. Marshall's monograph of 



7. Bracon variegator, Nees. 



Bracon variegator, Nees, Mon., i., 89 ; Wesm., Nouv. 

 Mem. Ac. Brnx., 1838, p. 33, c? ? ; Cur. Morton's 

 Cyclop. Agric, s. v. Bracon; Farm Ins., 370. 



Black, varied witli yellow ; abdomen broadly ovate, subdepressed, 

 granulated throughout; segment 2 subcarinated, with a shallow 

 fovea on each side ; wings fuscous, subhyaline at the apex ; terebra 

 J or i of the abdomen. J . Length, 1^ — 1^ ; wings, 3 lin. 



Antennae ? 18 — 20-jointed, shorter than the body ; palpi blackish ; 

 mandibles yellow. Face yellow with a large triangular black spot ; 

 orbits and vertex yellow, stemmaticmn and occiput black. Thorax 

 black, except a spot on each humeral angle, another beneath the 

 wings, and a large square patch on the mesothorax extending over 

 the scutellum ; the latter, however, is more or less black at the 

 base. First abdominal segment with yellow lateral margins ; 

 belly yellow with two longitudinal rows of black spots. The 

 following segments have sometimes the lateral^borders testaceous, 

 and in one specimen segment 2 is almost wholly of that colour, the 

 prominent parts of the surface being blackish. Suturiform articu- 

 lation bismuated, crenulate, and notched in the middle ; strongly 

 marked, as are the two following sutures, especially at the sides. 

 Segments 3 — 5 rather punctulate than rugulose, somewhat shining. 

 A smooth medial line is visible in certain lights upon segments 2 — 5. 

 Legs varied with fuscous and testaceous ; coxae black. Wings 

 with an obsolete whitish fascia ; stigma large, ovate, fuscous ; 2d 

 cubital areolet as long as the 3d, measured on the cubitus. 



(^ , according to Wesmael, similar ; antennae 23 — 24-jointed in 

 the two British specimens ; fore legs black, testaceous at the base. 



The antennae, and the length of the 2d cubital areolet, 

 distinguish this species from B. hrevicornis, Wesm,, 

 which it superficially resembles. The square yellow 

 patch on the mesothorax is characteristic, and the de- 

 scription given by Curtis, I. c, unmistakable. 



Described from six females, one in Walker's collection, 

 the others found in old jackdaw-nests, in company with 

 B. stahilis, Wesm., sp. 9. Also taken by Eitch not 

 uncommonly at Maldon. According to Curtis it is a 

 parasite of Endrosis fenestrella, Scop. ; the ^ 2 were 

 likewise captured by him late in August on Hampstead 

 Heath. Two males in bad condition, but apparently of 

 this species, were bred by Elisha from LithocoUetis 

 torminella, Freyer. Kawall obtained it in April — May 

 from cones of Pinus abics tenanted by Anohium ahietis, 



