British Braconidce. 29 



at the extreme base ; legs testaceous, claws black; tarsi, and some- 

 times hind tibia3 at the apex, fuscescent. Wings hyaline, stigma 

 fuscous; apical nervures decolorous. Body entirely smooth and 

 shining, except the 2d abdominal segment, which is more or less 

 aciculated ; sutiiriform articulation sinuated. Terebra longer than 

 the abdomen; valves black. ^ J. Length, cT IJ; wings, 3: ? 

 1 — li ; wings, 3 — 5:^ lin. 



The following are the principal varieties of the ? : — 



Var. 1. Stemmaticum, occiput, metathorax, 1st abdominal 

 segment, an aciculated spot on the 2d, and two smaller spots on 

 each of the 3d and 4th, black. Length, If lin. 



Var. 2. Vertex and occiput, 3 bands on the mesothoracic lobes, 

 metathorax, segment 1, and a dorsal band reaching nearly to the 

 anus, black. Length, 1^ lin. 



Var. 3. Head black or pitchy ; orbits rufescent ; mesothoracic 

 lobes, metathorax, and segment 1, black ; the remaining segments 

 pitchy above ; segment 1 at the sides, suturiform articulation, and 

 anus, testaceous. Length, 1;^ lin. 



Var. 4. Like the last, but all the dark parts pitchy ; abdomen 

 pitchy-testaceous. Length, 1 lin. 



The colours of the ^ are more luiiform. Head testaceous or 

 pitchy ; stemmaticum, or vertex, or both, and occiput, 3 stripes on 

 the mesothoracic lobes (of which the middle one is abbreviated 

 hindwards), metathorax, and abdomen above, black; segment 2 

 testaceous with a black discal spot, or entirely pitchy ; hinder 

 margins of the 3d and following segments naiTowly pale. 



Antennae of both sexes slender, and longer than the body ; those 

 of the <y 26—29, of the ? 20— 32-jointed ; the large females of 

 var. 1 have the greatest number of joints. Abdomen as long as 

 the head and thorax ; segment 1 longer than its apical breadth, 

 margined, smooth, elevated towards the apex, narrowed towards 

 the base, and there excavated ; segment 2 aciculated, the rest 

 smooth. The differences of size and colour between the largest 

 and smallest ? are such that, if their origin were unknown, they 

 would be taken for distinct species. 



Described from four males, seven females. Two 

 females are in Parfitt's collection. The remaining nine 

 specimens are part of a greater number bred by Fitch 

 at Maldon from the willow-galls of Nematus 2>(-'dtinculi, 

 Hart., during June, July, and August. According to 

 Eatzeburg, Heyer reared them from similar galls on 

 Salix aquatica, and Brischke a single specimen from 

 Salix aurita. 



