16 Rev, T. A. Marshall's Monograi^h of 



1. Praon abjedum, Haliday. 



Aphidiics (P.) abjectus, Hal., Ent. Mag., i, 485, $ . 



P. ahjedum, Marsh., Species des Hym. d'Eur. et d'Alg., 

 Bracon. vol. ii, p. 534, $ $ . 



The smallest species, of shorter form than the rest, and 

 resembling exoletum which is distinguished by its rufons 

 abdomen. 



9 Black, abdomen brown, paler at the middle of the Ixise. Oral 

 parts and palpi brownisli. Antenna) ratlier shorter than the body, 

 14-jointed, rarely with 13- or 15-18-joints, the 3rd joint 

 testaceous at the base. Metathorax smooth, not areated. Wings 

 subhyaline ; squamulee black ; radicles brownish ; stigma pale, 

 cinerous ; basal nervures fuscous, the others almost efifaced ; cubital 

 nervure scarcely perceptible, but reaching to the point where 

 the 2nd cubital should terminate. Legs ferruginous ; base of the 

 4 posterior femora, middle of tibiae, coxae and tips of tarsi, fuscescent. 

 Abdomen somewhat longer than the head and thorax, and in the 

 middle as broad as the latter ; 1st segment clear brown, one half 

 longer than broad, its tubercles basal, subobsolete ; the following 

 segments form an oval, lanceolate, and acute at the apex ; 2nd seg- 

 ment of the same colour, the following becoming gradually darker, 

 the last black. Valves of the terebra black. ^ Similar ; antennfe 

 entirely black, somewhat longer than the body, 15-18-jointed ; 1st 

 segment narrower than that of the $ . Length, f-I line ; exp. 

 l|-2 lines. 



Common in autumn ; a parasite, according to Haliday, 

 of one of the pucerons of Angelica sylvcstris ; also taken 

 by him on a willow. More recently Bignell reared several 

 specimens from Ajjhis epilohii, Kaltenbach, on Ujnlobmni 

 hirsutum, hairy willow-herb ; from A])liis hieracii, Kalten- 

 bach, on Pastinaca sativa, the parsnip ; and from Tychea 

 phaseoli, Passerini, on Phaseolus vulgaris, the kidney bean. 

 It attacks also SiphoiiopJiora laduciB, Kalt., on Laduca 

 scariola, the lettuce, and from this last aphis, which formerly 

 infested lettuces in my garden, I bred the two sexes. 



2. Praon exoletum, Nees. 



Bracon exoldus, Nees, Mag. Ges. Berl., 1811, p. 30. 

 Aphidius exolehis,l:^ees, Mon. i, 25 ; Wesm., Nouv. Mem. 



Ac. Brux. 1835, p. 81 ; Ratz., Ichn. d. Forst. iii, 63; 



Bouche, Naturg. (1834) 1Q2, $ ^ . 



