British Braconidce. 155 



correct, and also in accordance with the views of Ratze- 

 burg. HaHday was acquainted with very few specimens, 

 which he found on willows, and regarded as rare. They 

 have since proved to be everywhere common parasites of 

 TineidcB, and especially, as it would seem, of Nepticula. 

 Nearly 50 have been bred by W. H. B. Fletcher, of 

 Worthing, mostly in May, from Nepticula poterii, Staint., 

 anomaldla, Goze, Weaveri, Dough, trimaculella, Haw., 

 marfiinicolclla, Staint., salieis, Staint., hasiguttella, Hein., 

 filipenduUe, Wocke, phifiicolella, Staint., and others ; 

 also from Cocci/x iistomaculana, Cur. (?), CohopJiora 

 aheneUa, Wocke, and Lithocolletis alnifoliella, Hiib. 

 Elisha has obtained them from Ornix scoticella, Staint., 

 or Nepticida aucupar'Ke, Frey., and Lithocolletis Sclireher- 

 ella, Fab. ; the last was prematurely forced on March 

 14th. A very different origin is assigned to them by 

 Eatzeburg, according to whom Brischke reared them 

 from the galls of Cecidomyia rosaria, Loew, on Salix alba 

 Sindfrariilis. 



iii. Apanteles, Forst. 



Forst., Verb. pr. Eheinl., 1862, p. 245 ; Eeinh,, Berl. 

 ent. Zeit., 1880, p. 361. 



Maxillary palpi 5-, labial 3-jointed. Antennas 18-jointecl. Eyes 

 villose. Mesopleurae impressed with a smooth fovea. Abdomen 

 sessile ; suturiform articulation distinct. Eadius of the fore wings 

 subobsolete ; 2 cubital areolets, the 2d being open on the outer 

 side, and thus confused with the 3d. Spurs of the hind tibiae 

 never much shorter than i the metatarsus. 



The total absence of the outer side of the areolet dis- 

 tinguishes this genus from MicropUtis and Microf/aste?- ; 

 it differs also from MicropUtis in the more developed 

 spurs of the hind tibiae ; and from Microgaster, in that 

 the 2d abdominal suture is not marked by any transverse 

 depression. To the genus Apanteles belong most of the 

 Microgasterides, the natural enemies of Lepidoptera, no 

 single species of which, in temperate climates, seems to 

 be free from their attacks. In the tropics, however, their 

 place is taken by the multitudinous forms of Agathis qm^ 

 its allied genera. A few species have been recorded as 

 parasites of other orders than Lepidoptera. Among the 

 Coleoptera, lihynchites hetuleti, Fab., and Lina tvemnlce, 

 Fab., have been found to be infested by Apanteles lioplites, 

 Eatz. ; Orchestes qucrcns, L., by A. breviventris, Eatz. ; 

 Anthonomus pomorum, L., by A. itnjmnis, Nees, and A. 



