346 ICHJTEUMO3TIDJE. 



triangular or obliquely rhomboiclal, with the nervures subentire 

 (the external often fenestrate below) and always coalescent above, 

 emitting the external abscissa of the radius in a strong curve, 

 which basally forms an acute angle with the internal radial 

 abscissa ; stigma never broad or triangular, often pale ; nervellus 

 intercepted above, very rarely at or below, its centre. 



The constant red-yellow colour of members of this tribe dis- 

 tinguish them at once from all other ICHNEUMOMD^, except the 

 OPHIONIDES, with which tyros are apt to confuse them until they 

 come to notice lhat they possess a very conspicuous deltoid alar 

 areolet (or in Parca, which possesses no areolet, the second 

 recurrent is not emitted before the submarginal nervure), whereas 

 iri OPHIONIDES the areolet is invariably wanting and the second 

 recurrent emitted distinctly before the submarginal. The species 

 are socially parasitic upon larvae of Lepidoptera, constructing for 

 themselves tough black or brown cocoons, and many or all of their 

 larvae are ectoparasites. 



This group is very well represented in the Indian fauna, more 

 especially in the hills of Ceylon, Assam, Baluchistan and Kashmir ; 

 but our knowledge is far too scanty at present to allow us to 

 generalise respecting their distribution. I have experienced con- 

 siderable difficulty in recognising in nature the various descriptions 

 that have been published, on account both of their superficial 

 character and the actual similarity of the species constituting 

 this tribe. The latter cause has been a stumbling block to their 

 elucidation throughout the world, and nowhere more so than in 

 Europe, where they have received the most attention ; but even 

 here Thomson, I consider, to a great, extent failed in their classi- 

 fication, quite possibly for lack of material. Very few of the 

 two dozen Palsearctic kinds have yet been assigned definite 

 characters ; and there appears ground for believing that, when a 

 general synonymy has been effected of this group, whose species 

 are found throughout both hemispheres, their specific range will 

 prove to be much more extensive than at present supposed. 



Table of Genera. 



1 (6) All the tarsi pectinate ; areolet 



entire. 



2 (5) Spiracles of basal segment dis- 



tinctly before centre ; areolet 

 triangular. 



3 (4) Lower much further from base 



than upper basal nervure PANISCUS, Scbr., p. 347. 



4 (3) Basal nervure continuous through 



median nervure PAHABATVS, Thoms., p. 357. 



5 (2) Spiracles of basal segment central; 



areolet quadrate TETRAGON ALYS, Mori., p. 359. 



G (1) Tarsi simple ; areolet -wanting ; 



petiolar spiracles central PAECA, Mori., p. 361. 



