British Braconidce. 71 



v. Perilitus, A T 6't's. 



Perilitus, Nees, Act. Ac. L. C., 1819, p. 302 ; Perilitus 

 Scctio I., Nees, Mori., i., 29 ; Hal., Ent. Mag., 

 iii., 34 ; Keiuh., Berl. ent. Zeits., 1862, p. 323. 



Microctonus and Dinocamptus, Ftirst., Verb. pr.Eheinl., 

 1862, p. 251. 



Antennas straight, simple. Maxillary palpi G-, labial 2 — 8- 

 jointed. Fore wings with two cubital areolets, the 1st usually 

 confused with the prnediscoidal, but sometimes distinct ; radial 

 areolet ending much before the apex of the wing, semicordate or 

 sublanceolate ; radius equally curved throughout, or somewhat 

 straightened near the tip. Mesothoracic sutures distinct. Meta- 

 thorax vertically or subvertically truncated and excavated behind. 

 Terebra exserted. 



Twenty European species are indicated in Reinhard's 

 list (I. c), many of which are very imperfectly described. 

 Haliday established two sections, founded upon the 

 presence or absence of the nervure dividing the 1st 

 cubital areolet from the prrediscoidal. In six species 

 the two areolets are separated, and Forster has made of 

 them the genus Dinocamptus : they are not, however, 

 otherwise distinguishable, and are not here treated as a 

 separate genus. The sexes differ in appearance, and 

 are paired with difficult}' ; the females have often a red 

 head, and other parts of the body similarly coloured; 

 the males are darker, with stouter and longer antennae. 

 The radial areolet is always small, ending not far from 

 the middle point between the stigma and the apex of the 

 wing ; the radius forms either a regular parabolic curve 

 (making the areolet semicordate), or it is somewhat 

 straightened towards the end (making the areolet acute 

 and sublanceolate). The radial areolet of the hind 

 wing is petiolated, as in Meteorus. The metathorax is 

 sometimes imperfectly areated. 



The parasitism of one species (/'. terminatus, Nees) 

 was discovered in 1839 by Audouin (Quelques observations 

 sur le parasitisme des insectes ; sec Hagen, s. v. Audouin, 

 no. 52) ; it is also recorded by Westwood (Int., ii.. 143), 

 Brulle (St. Farg. Hym., iv., 321!), and Ratzeburg 

 (Forstins, iii., 18). This insect attacks adult Cocrinellas 

 of the species septempunctata and quinqitepunctata, L. 

 Audouin ascertained simply that a Perilitus emerged 



