British BraconidcB. 179 



Hiib. ; according to Ratzeburg by Kircbner from Hypono- 

 meutapadeUiis, L. Cocoons pale lemon-colour, or whitish 

 yellow, attached singly to various plants. Cameron bred 

 two hyper-parasitic species of Hcmiteles from these 

 cocoons (Zool., 1880, p. 269). 



The origin of 4 specimens in Fitch's collection requires 

 explanation. They are ticketed as having been hatched 

 from cocoons of Hypera variabilis, Hbst., and some of the 

 beetles are preserved with them. The difficulty is that 

 Microgasters spin cocoons for themselves, and are not 

 known as using those of other insects. 



Under hrei-icornis, Wesm., := fuUginosus, Ratz., 

 Brischke states that he has bred this from Erynnis 

 alcece, Esp., also from a Geometer and a Tortrix. He 

 describes the cocoons as white and gregarious, which 

 renders the whole observation doubtful. 



16. Apanteles spurius, Wesm. 

 Microyaster spuriiis, Wesm., Nouv. Mem. Ac. Brux., 

 1837, p. 49; Apanteles spurius, Reinh., Berl. ent. 

 Zeit., 1881, p. 84, (? ? . 

 Black ; palpi pale ; legs rufo-testaceous, fore femora at the base 

 only, the others entirely, black ; hind tibiae rarely fuscescent at the 

 apex. Wings hyaline, squaninlse black, stigma fuscous. Meso- 

 thorax thickly and very finely punctate, dull, more shining at the 

 hind angles ; scutellum sparingly punctulate, shining. Mesopleurs 

 shining and smooth. Metathorax and segments 1 — 2 rugulose, 

 dull ; segment 1 subqiiadrate, a little narrowed at the base ; 

 2 hardly shorter than 3, which, with the rest, is smooth and 

 shining. Terebra subexserted. Hind coxae smooth. Spm-softhe 

 hind tibiae slender, distinctly shorter than \ the metatarsus. ^ J . 

 Length, 1 — H; wings, 2 — 3 lin. 

 Var. All the femora piceo-testaceous. 



Care must be taken to distinguish this from difjicilis, 

 Nees, and caice, Bouclie. In the former the terebra is 

 very short ; in both, the spurs of the hind tibiae are 

 stouter and longer than those of spurius, which has also 

 the legs longer and more slender, especially the joints of 

 the hind tarsi, the hind tibiae almost always concolorous 

 at the apex, and makes different cocoons. "Probably, 

 but not certainly," says Reinhard, " M.jyieridis, Bouche, 

 Naturg., p. 152, is to be regarded as identical with this 

 species." The cocoons, however, are described b}^ Bouche 

 as not white, but " dunkelgelb " 



