British Braconidce. 45 



banded with black and yellow. The former writer also 

 states that the 2d segment is obsoletely carinated, and 

 has two faint punctures at the base, — characters which 

 are not visible in the English specimens, nor noticed by 

 Wesmael. The orbits are liable to be sometimes testa- 

 ceous. The smooth abdomen and general aspect bring 

 this species near to B. variator, Nees, but it has a much 

 shorter terebra, longer and more slender antennae, and 

 the abdomen above entirely black, except the sides of 

 the 1st segment. It also resembles B. guttiger, Wesm., 

 in colour and size, but the abdomen of that species is 

 not wholly smooth. 



Bignell has taken 4 females in Devonshire. Wesmael 

 possessed 5, captured near Brussels and in the Cam})ine. 

 W. H. B. Fletcher has bred a ? from Coleophora 

 ccespiteila, Zell. 



35. Bracoii obscurator, Nees. 



Bracon obscurator, Nees, Mon., i,, 83, c? ? . 



Braco obscurator, Wesm., Nouv. Mem. Ac. Brux., 1838, 

 p. 55, ? . 



Black ; smooth aud shining ; palpi blackish ; mandibles, sides of 

 segment 1, base of the belly, tibiie more or less broadly at the base, 

 and femora at the extreme apex, testaceous. Wings dusky hyaline, 

 2d cubital areolet not shorter than the 3d. Terebra shorter than 

 the abdomen. ^ J . Length, ^ — 1 ; wings, If — 2 lin. 



Antennae ? 20— 22-jointed, shorter than the body. Trochanters 

 and femora sometimes dull testaceous, tibiae of a clearer colour, 

 the posterior tipped with black, and their tarsi blackish ; or the 

 legs are entirely blackish, with the extreme base of the hind tibia) 

 pale. Segment 2 is not absolutely smooth, but the aciculation is 

 hardly visible, and the insect may well remain near its allies in 

 this section, where it was placed by "Wesmael. In one $ the 

 terebra is rather longer ; but still shorter than the abdomen. The 

 $ is smaller than the $ , with 2B-jointed antennae, but otherwise 

 similar. This species much resembles anthracinus, Nees, and 

 atrator, Nees, but the terebra is shorter, the 2d segment less 

 shining, the wings more nearly hyaline, and the 2d cubital areolet 

 not shorter than the 3d. 



A $ in Fitch's collection was bred from CEcophora 

 fulriguttella, Zell. ; and Bignell reared both sexes 

 together. May 28th, from Iloiuceusotna Huuclla, Fab. 



