372 Mr. Bridgman's additions to T. A. Marshall's 



Mesoleius (Saotus) ? brevispina, Thorn. 

 Thorn., Ent. Opus., 934. 



Mr. J. E. Fletcher has bred several male Tryphons 

 which agree better with this species than any other 

 I can find ; it is very similar to Perilissus bicolor, Brischke, 

 but the teeth of the mandibles being of equal length 

 will not allow it to go into that genus. The only 

 difference that I can see from Thomson's description is 

 that the calcariae of the tibiae are a trifle longer than 

 one-third of the 1st joint of the tarsi. His descriptions 

 are so very meagre that one can never be quite certain : 

 in this he does not say if he knows the male. This 

 group of Mesoleius have the abdomen more compressed 

 and glazed than usual ; some of the females are as 

 much compressed as Bassus cognatus. I give a descrip- 

 tion of this insect : — 



Head transverse, narrow behind the eyes ; antennae about as 

 long as the body ; apex of clypeus truncate, depressed, transversely 

 raised before the apex. Thorax shining, parapsides obsolete ; 

 mesopleura obsoletely reticulate ; supero- and postero-medial areae 

 subdistinct. bide of post-petiole of abdomen almost parallel 

 longer than wide, depressed in the middle, basal depression obso- 

 letely continued on to the post-petiole ; 2nd and 3rd segments 

 longer than wide, from the second segment abdomen subcom- 

 pressed. Legs moderate. Wings without an areolet ; transverse 

 anal nervure slightly ante-furcal, divided far below the middle ; 

 transverse ordinary not interstitial. 



Black ; face, frontal orbits, the lower part of prothorax, meso- 

 pleura and breast, large hook-shaped marks on shoulders, a double 

 mark in centre of mesonotum, tubercles, tegulte, a mark below the 

 wings, scutellum, or middle of scutellum, extreme apex of 1st 

 segment, apex broadly of 2nd, a dorsal mark on 3rd margin of the 

 remainder thinly, belly, front leg, hind coxae, and trochanters 

 yellow ; hind femora red ; base of hind tibiag dirty white, apical 

 half and hind tarsi fuscous ; stigma fuscous. Antennae fuscous 

 above, reddish beneath. The pale marks on the abdomen vary a 

 little in quantity. Male. Length, 5 mm. 



Bred by Mr. J. E. Fletcher from Nematus purpura, 

 Cam., a new leaf-rolling sawfly, discovered by him at 

 Worcester on Salix purpurea, June, 1886. 



