THE ICHNEUMON WASPS 



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gradually absorbs. The perfect insect makes a small hole in the pupa case when it 

 emerges, and does not, as does L. pini, bite off a little cap at the top. Another 

 type is Bassus albosignatus , which frequents the honey dew dropped by aphid col- 

 onies. It lays its eggs on various larvae which feed upon the aphides. In the allied 

 genus Banchus, the species are parasitic on caterpillars, especially those of the hawk 

 moths. The affected larvae do not even reach the pupal state, but shrivel away, 

 while the parasites form pupae within the empty skin. The members of the typical 

 genus and subfamily, such as Ichneumon pisorius, are among the largest and most 

 brightly colored of the group; their colors, which are white, black, red, and yellow, 

 occurring in great variety of combination. The females are usually more brightly 

 colored than the males. The former sex is easily distinguished by the filiform 

 antennae, which are sometimes knotted, and may be observed to coil after the insect 

 is dead. Many fine species may be taken from moss in the spring, where they 



1. Ichneumon pisorius, male, and empty pupa of pine hawk moth, whence the parasite has emerged; '2. Cryptus 

 tarsoleucus, male; 3. Mesostenus gladiator, female; 4. Ephialtes manifestator, male and female, the latter 

 laying her eggs. 



(Natural size.) 



hibernate, though the great majority appear in the summer and do not live through 

 the winter. The European species named is one of the largest, and may be regarded 

 as typical of the general appearance of members of the family. It is found from 

 June onward in pine woods, where it attacks the larvae of the pine hawk moth, de- 

 positing a single egg in each victim. The caterpillar maintains its general health, 

 and passes into the chrysalis state as though nothing were amiss; the only differ- 

 ence being that a large ichneumon fly emerges instead of the expected moth. An 

 illustration of the parasite is given in the accompanying figure, together with a 

 pupa case, with the cap removed, whence the fly has escaped. Of the other forms 

 here figured, the male of Cryptus tarsoleucus gives a good idea of the general ap- 

 pearance of the males of the ichneumons, with their narrow elongate abdomen. All 

 the species of Cryptus are parasitic on the larvae of the sawflies, and the Bombycida; 

 the female laying several eggs in each larva. A fine handsome form is one known 



