406 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxis. 



cover of the hollowed-out seed, from which, when ready, 

 the adult insect issues by a hole. 



Of Megastigmus species that infest conifer seeds three 

 have been recorded in Britain : — 



Megastigmus pinus, Parfitt, of this note ; 



Megastigmus spermotrophus, Wachtl. ; and 



Megastigmus strobilobius, Ratz. 



Megastigmus spermotrophus was first described as a 

 new species by Wachtl. of Vienna, in 1893, the insects 

 having issued from the seeds of the Douglas Fir. In 

 1906 this insect was recorded by MacDougall 1 in the seeds 

 of Douglas fir from Aberdeenshire where the insect had 

 proved very destructive. Later, in 1909, the species was 

 recorded by Crosby in a bulletin from Cornell University. 

 The seed from which he obtained his specimens came from 

 Colorado, the home of one variety of the Douglas fir. 



M. strobilobius was first recorded by tlatzeburg in 1848 

 from seeds of Abies pectinata. It has been recorded in the 

 United States by Crosby. In Britain it has been found 

 by Mr. A. C. Forbes and has been described by Gillanders. 



Megastigmus pinus, Parfitt. — This species was first 

 described by Parfitt in 1857. Various coniferous species 

 had been named as hosts of the species, but there are 

 authentic records of its living in the seeds of Abies nobilis. 

 In the National Collection at the British Museum, in 

 addition to the 1857 record, there are two records: one of 

 two males and two females from Mr. A. Murray, and a 

 British record in 1904 of specimens received from Wm. 

 Vicary, Esq. The present record is of a female specimen 

 from the seeds of Abies nobilis. It was found dead on 

 9th July among some seeds which were to be used as a 

 museum exhibit. The occurrence of the insect suggested 

 an examination of the seed for traces of damage. Out of 

 110 seeds, four were found which had certainly been attacked 

 by an insect grub. A dissection of one of these seeds 

 showed it to be completely destroyed ; a small amount of 

 frass was left within the empty shell. The seeds among 

 which those damaged individuals were found were sent 

 over by a firm of German nurserymen in Hamburg. 

 Present circumstances render an inquiry about the locality 



1 Transactions of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society, 1906, vol. xix. 



