THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XVIL] JUNE, 1884. [No. 253. 



INTRODUCTORY PAPERS ON ICHNEUMONID^E. 



By John B. Bridgman and Edward A. Fitch. 



(with plate.) 



No. IV— AGKIOTYPLDiE. 



This family comprises but one genus, which contains but one 

 species, of which Curtis wrote in 1832 : — " This curious insect is 

 considerably like Helorus and some of the Proctotrupidse at first 

 sight, and not unlike some of the Formicidse ; and the habit as 

 well as the sculpture of the thorax remind us, at a casual glance, 

 of the genus Chlorion ; on examining the mouth, however, and 

 wings, it will be found to be entirely different. It is undoubtedly 

 one of the Ichneumonidee, and bears considerable resemblance to 

 Hemiteles ; but it has no areolet in the superior wings " (Brit. 

 Ent. 389). In a footnote he adds Latreille's opinion: — "In a 

 word, it seems to unite the Ichneurnonidse with the Oxyuri." 

 This aberrant species, which cannot be confounded with any 

 other Ichneumon, is probably most nearly related to the 

 Cryptidse ; it reminds one greatly of the aculeate Agenia 

 bifasciatus or A. variegatns ; Dr. Jordan likened it to Pompilus 

 plumbeus, another Fossor (Ent. Mo. Mag. i. 186). 



Agmotypus, Walk. 



Black ; wings of male obscurely clouded with pale brown ; of female, 

 yellowish, with four broad rich brown fasciae. 1. armatns, 3 — 4 lines. 



This remarkable species is rare. It was first taken by Mr. Henry 

 Walker on the banks of the Clyde, at New Lanark, the males 

 skimming over the surface of the water in the sunshine, and 

 alighting on stones ; later he found the females reposing on the 



ENTOM. — JUNE, 1884. R 



