British Braconidce. 101 



Var. 10. Mesothorax and scutelliim more or less infuscated. 



Var. 11. Mesothorax rnfo-testaceous ; metathorax, 1st abdorninal 

 segment, as well as the 4th and following more or less, fuscous. 



Var. 12. Mesothorax entirely, pectus and pleurae more or less, 

 fuscous ; pleurse usually fuscous, with a rufous medial spot ; abdo- 

 men blackish at both ends. 



The species is extremely difficult to determine, as well from 

 variations of sculpture as from the instability of the colours. 

 Nevertheless, English specimens are less variable than those in 

 Ruthe's collection, and will be found in general to correspond with 

 the diagnosis. Described from 27 females and 2 males. Face 

 subquadrate, flat, sometimes with a slight elevation above the 

 clypeus, looking, from above or below, like a carina. Palpi pale, 

 whitish. Antenna' J J about the length of the body, setaceous, 

 27 — 35-jointed, testaceous, dusky towards the apex, each joint also 

 annulated with the same colour. Eyes villose ; ocelli prominent. 

 Prothorax always rufo-testaeeous. Metathorax usually rugulose 

 and reticulated, with greater or less distinctness ; without a medial 

 carina ; but often exhibiting on the disk two smooth subquadrate 

 areae separated by a carina ; intermediate forms are not wanting. 

 Abdomen as long as the head and thorax ; 1st segment \ or § of its 

 entire length, striolated ; petiole slender, elongate, but varying 

 somewhat in length and thickness. Stigma yellow, more or less 

 pale, usually unicolorous, but not seldom bordered with fuscous, 

 especially beneath ; 2d cubital areolet narrower than its height, 

 and very slightly narrowed towards the radius ; recurrent nervure 

 always more or less rejected, never absolutely interstitial. 



This is perhaps the commonest British species, and 

 abounds likewise in other parts of Europe. Bignell 

 bred the $ from Dictyopteryx Bergmanniana, L. ; Elisha 

 the ? , July 6th, from Laverna conturbatella, Hub. ; J. 

 E. Fletcher another from a larva found rolled up in a 

 leaf of Rubus idccus. Curtis (B. E., ccccxv.) has figured 

 the cocoon, which he says is frequently found on the 

 hazel, and by himself in Coombe Wood ; one cocoon 

 produced the universal hyporparasite Hemiteles areator, 

 Panz. Haliday, who had the means of knowing, is the 

 authority for referring Curtis's insect to this species. 

 Ratzeburg bred a ? from Cheimatobia brumata, L., and 

 states (Ichn. d. Forst,, ii., 55) that a specimen bred by 

 Bouche from Pyralis farinalis, L., is undoubtedly the 

 same species ; but there must be a mistake here, since 

 the cocoon of Bouche's insect (Naturg., 1834, p. 148) is 



