INTRODUCTORY PAPERS ON ICHNEUMONHXE. 177 



b. Thorax testaceous. 



* Apex of abdomen infuscated at sides. - 1. merdarius, 6 — 10 lines. 



** Apex of abdomen black. - - - 2. ramididus, 6 — 10 lines. 



B. Fore wing with one horny spot. - - 4. repentinus, about 6 lines. 



Stephens' genus Henicospilus is only distinct from Ophion in 

 having one or two chitinous spots in the fore wings. This is a 

 very unstable character, and not of generic value, although 

 included as only a convenient division of the species of Ophion 

 by Holmgren, Taschenberg, and other continental authors. In 

 Ophion inflexus, Ratz., the spot is almost absent, and asymmetrical 

 (see Die Ichn., i. 102, iii. 80 ; and Vollenhoven's ' Pinacographia,' 

 pi. 39, fig. 4). There is a good coloured figure of 0. combustus, 

 and details of wing- spots, in Stephens' Illustrations (vol. vii., 

 pi. xl., fig. 4); Taschenberg did not know this species (Zeits. 

 Ges. Nat. xlvi. 436), but it is not rare in Britain. Ratzeburg 

 figures 0. merdarius (Die. Ichn., vol. i., pi. vi., fig. 8), and 

 Donovan figures O. ramidulus (pi. 42, i.). Details of 0. merdarius, 



0. ramidulus, and 0. repentinus are beautifully figured in ' Pina- 

 cographia ' (pi. 28, figs. 5, 5a, 6, Ga; pi. 39, fig. 6, 6a). With 

 the exception of 0. repentinus, Holmgr., the British species are 

 not rare. Ratzeburg describes the cocoon of 0. merdarius as 

 resembling a large Lophyrus cocoon, dark brown in colour, with 

 the central third paler. The cocoon of O. ramididus is figured on 

 Plate ii., fig. 9: it is a hard cylindrical dark brown cocoon, with 

 a thin covering of loose black silk ; 6 lines long by 25-. One of 

 Ratzeburg's pupils probably mistook the cocoon of O. merdarius 

 for that of Lophyrus pini, from which he bred the Ophion in 

 April, 1843 (Die Ichn., i. 102). 



Two species have been bred from the following hosts : — 



1. merdarius, Gr., from Trachea piniperda ; Ratzeburg. Dianthoecia irre- 



gularis (echii); Brischke. Hecatera dysodea ; 

 (Perris) Giraud. Cucullia argentea* ; Brischke. 

 Grammodes algira*, Pseudophia tirrhoea* ; 

 Kriechbaumer. ? Samia cecropia* ; Taschen- 

 berg. 



2. ramidulus, L., from Pcecilocampa populi ; Eondani. Eriogaster lanestris ; 



Scopoli. Dipterygiapinastri; Drewseu. Trachea 

 piniperda; Hartig, Giraud, Brischke, Norgate. 

 Dianthoecia capsiucola ; Giraud. Hadena pisi ; 

 Gravenhorst, Giraud, Bignell. 



ENTOM. — AUGUST, 1884. 2 A 



