British Braconiche. 37 



25. Bracon prceter missus, n. s. 



Braco immiitator, var. '2, Wesm., Nouv. Mem. Ac. 

 Bnix., 1838, p. 16, c? ? ; antennge 22— 'iO-jointed 

 (not of Nees). 



? . Niger, uitidiis, palpis pedibusqne coucoloribus, geuiculis 

 omnibus, posticis latius, et segmentorum 1 — 2 lateribus, testaceis. 

 Alae infumat*, stigmate nervisque nigricantibus. Metathorax fere 

 laevis. Abdomen ovatum, segmentis 1 — 2 scabriculis, illo margi- 

 nato, caeteris laevibus, nitidis ; articulatio suturiformis vix medio 

 emarginata. Terebra abdomine vix paulo brevior. ^ simillimus, 

 sed segmento 3tio, immo etiam 4ti basi, tenuiter aciculatis. 



? . Black, shining ; palpi and legs also black, all the knees, the 

 hind ones more broadly, and the sides of segments 1 — 2, testaceous. 

 Wings infumated, stigma and nervures blackish. Metathorax 

 almost smooth. Abdomen ovate, segments 1 — 2 aciculated, the 

 former margined, the rest smooth and shining ; suturiform articu- 

 lation scarcely emarginate in the middle. Tei-ebra very little 

 shorter than the abdomen. ^ very similar, but the 3d segment, 

 or even the base of the 4th, is finely aciculated. ^ 2 • Length 

 1^ — 1| ; wings, 3 — S^ lin. 



Var. 1, $ . Legs testaceous, only the posterior femora above, 

 and the tarsi, black : segment 2 entirely black ; antenme 32- 

 jointed. 



Var. 2, 5. Segments 1 — 2 almost smooth; antennae 32-joiuted. 



Antennae J 24 — 32-jointed, as long as the body. Metathorax 

 shining, smooth, with a few minute transverse wrinkles, and at the 

 apex an inchoate carina. Segments 1 — 2 at the sides, 2 more 

 broadly, and 3 at the basal angles, testaceous, as well as the 

 anterior half of the belly ; segments 1 — 2 exarated in the ? , the 

 rest smooth ; in the <^ , segments 3 — 4, the latter only at the base, 

 are still more finely sculptured. ^ similar, as large as the 5 ; 

 antennae 32-jointed, longer than the body. 



Bracon, immutator, Nees, Mon., i., 76, differs in having 

 the abdomen fulvous, varied above with black, and the 

 terebra as long as the abdomen, or longer. Hence I 

 cannot think that Wesmael's immutator is the same 

 species, and still less the varieties. The form which 

 occurs in England is constant, as above described, and 

 has every appearance of being a good species. 



Common ; described from 1 <? taken by Bignell ; 

 4 females by mvself in September at Nunton, Wilts ; 

 and 1 ? (var. 2) May 30th, by Fitch at Maldon. 



