British Braconidm. 15 



shortness and width of the 1st segment, giving a sessile 

 appearance to the abdomen. Eight species have been 

 described in Europe, and a greater number in America ; 

 the determination of all of them is difficult. Three are 

 found in the monograph of Nees v. Esenbeck, arranged 

 by that author under the genus Blacus, but their descrip- 

 tions are unsatisfactory. The species of Praon, in passing 

 into the pupal state, depart from the practice adopted by 

 the other known Aphidians ; the latter, as mentioned above, 

 remain within the body of the puceron, which serves them 

 instead of a cocoon. The Praons, on the contrary, pierce 

 a hole in the belly of the Aphis, and construct for them- 

 selves a separate shelter on the leaf beneath, resembling a 

 tent or pavilion, usually surmounted by the empty skin of 

 the victim ; see a Memoir by Mr. Howard {Insect Life, vol. 

 iv., p. 196) where is figured the construction made by an 

 American species, corresponding exactly with those found 

 in England on currant and other leaves. The Chalcid 

 hyperparasite Pachycrcpis clavata, Walker, was supposed 

 by Haliday to be the maker of these tent-like cocoons 

 (Ent. Mag., ii., p. 99), but, as it appears, erroneously, both 

 Bignell and myself having several times obtained P7uow,and 

 not Pachycrepis, from the tents in question. The Chalci- 

 didse also are not generally known to make cocoons, 

 availing themselves of the body of their defunct host, or 

 else changing into a naked pupa on the ground. 



Table of Species, 



(2) 1. Antennae of the ? 14-joiuted (rarely 



with 13 or 15-18 joints) ; those of the 



<? 15-18-jointed I. ahjectiim,B.a\. 



(1) 2. Antennae $ ? 18-23 jointed 3 



(4) 3. Abdomen yellowish rufous ; occiput and 



mesonotum black, the rest of the body 



testaceous, pubescent 2. exoletum, Nees. 



(3) 4. Abdomen blackish or fuscous, often 



more or less testaceous at the base ... 5 



(6) 5. Wings infumated below the radial 



areolet 3. dorsale, Hal. 



(5) 6. Wings not infumated 7 



(8) 7. Antennae S ? notably longer than the 



body 4. lorifficorne, MsLTsh. 



(7) 8. Antennse of the ? not or hardly longer 



than the body ; those of the d a little 



longer 9 



(10) 9. First abdominal segment reddish testa- 

 ceous at the extremity, or entirely of 

 that colour, as well as the base or 

 the whole of the 2nd segment 5. Jlavinode, HaA. 



(9) 10. First abdominal segment fuscous, like 



all the following ; segments 2-3 with 



a slight rufous tinge 6. volucre, Hal. 



