British Braconidce. 185 



which, according to that author, it lives singly. Other 

 larvae, however, according to their size, have been found 

 to produce from two to eleven. The parasites when 

 hatched are not gregarious, but form their cocoons 

 seiDarately. On issuing from the victim they spin each 

 a rough case, and afterwards a finer cocoon inside it. 

 The cocoons may be found scattered about on the needles 

 of the juniper, &c., as in the case of sericeus. They are 

 of a pale reddish buff, or flesh-colour, like those of 

 difflcilis, but larger. In the Berl. ent. Zeit. they are not 

 very accurately described as " pale yellowish ; " and by 

 Brischke as "paler or darker brownish yellow to 

 sulphur-yellow." In addition to Thera juniper ata, L., 

 Reinhard mentions Emmelesia alchemillata, L., and 

 Eupithecia sohrinata, Hiib. The twenty-nine specimens 

 examined by me were bred by Bignell from Odontoptera 

 bidentata, Clerck, Selenia hihinaria, Esp., Crocallis 

 elinguaria, L., Himera pennaHa, L., and Cidaria fulvata , 

 Forst. In the case of Selenia, eleven parasites came 

 from the same larva during five or six days, and 

 remained as pupae about a fortnight. It is not easy to 

 understand how a caterpillar of the size of S. hilimaria 

 can accommodate eleven of these rather large Micro- 

 gasters. To the above-mentioned Geometrae may be 

 added, ivomBvischke, Eupitliecia exiguata, Hub., nanata, 

 Hub., pimpinellata, Hub., lariciata, Freyer, &c. 



22. Apanteles gracilis, Cur. 



Microgaster gracilis, Cur., B. E., 321, No. 12; Hal., 

 Ent. Mag., ii., 253, <? ? . 



Black ; legs flavo-ferruginous, 4 posterior femora with a fuscous 

 streak above and below, or uearlj' all fuscous, their tibiae also 

 infuscated in the ^ ; coxae and trochanters black. Wings hyaline, 

 squamulae ftiscous, stigma pale ferruginous. Mesothoras and 

 scutellum thickty punctulate, dull ; metathorax smoother and 

 more shining, usually with a medial carina. First segment 1^ 

 times longer than broad, somewhat rounded at the sides, truncate, 

 and with the 2d, and base of the 3d, rugulose, dull ; segment 2 as 

 long as 3 ; the rest smooth and shining. Terebra very short. 

 Valvula ventralis not siu'passing the anus. Hind coxae punctulate, 

 shining. Spurs of hind tibiae shorter than i the metatarsus. ^ J . 

 Length, | ; wings, 2^ lin. 



Like clifficihs, Nees, but much smaller ; the rugulose part of the 

 abdomen is less shining, and segment 2 more distinctly broader 



