NOTES ON BRITISH BRACONID^. 125 



Palpi clear white. Mesonotum distinctly trilobate, the middle lobe 

 with a deep furrow down the centre. Cenchri large, clear white. 

 The dorsal middle segments of the abdomen are fuscous. Calcaria 

 short, testaceous. The first joint of the hind tarsi is blackish-fuscous, 

 narrowly white at the base and apex, the second is testaceous, blackish 

 above, the third and fourth black, the fifth black, white at the base. 



NOTES ON BRITISH BEACONID^.— VI. 

 By Claude Morlby, F.E.S., &c. 



(Continued from vol. xl. p. 254.) 

 METEORIDiE. 



This small subfamily consists of some thirty species, which 

 so closely resemble the ichneumonidous Hemiteles in the structure 

 of their pefciolated abdomen, &c., that I found an individual of 

 the latter genus among them, while working on this paper, in 

 my collection ; it also is related to the Euphoridse, among 

 Braconids, though its possession of three cubital cells will at 

 once distinguish it therefrom. Its species are mainly parasitic 

 on Lepidoptera, sometimes socially but usually solitarily : one, 

 I shall show, has been bred from a sawfly, and several are 

 reputed to prey upon beetles ; while M. ohfmcator is constantly 

 being bred by coleopterists from the heteromerous Orchesia 

 micans in Boleti on elm trees. The following table will 

 sufficiently distinguish our species, many of which appear at 

 first sight very obscure, but become easily recognized with a 

 little practice ; and the last four or five are, perhaps, but 

 varieties of the same. There is but one genus : — 



Meteoeus, Hal. 

 (44) 1. Post-petiole discally bisulcate at the 

 base. 



(5) 2. Radial cell of lower wing divided by 



a transverse nervure . . . (Zemiotes, Forst.). 

 (4) 3. Costal and median cells of upper wing 



of subequal length . . . .1. albiditarsis, Curt. 

 (3) 4. Costal cell distinctly shorter than the 



median . . . . . .2. caligatus, Hal. 



(2) 5. Radial cell of lower wing not divided. 

 (7) 6. Costal cell as long or longer than 



median (Protelus, Forst.). . 3. chrysophthalmus, Nees. 



(6) 7. Costal cell shorter than the median. 

 (33) 8. Recurrent nervure emitted before apex 



of first cubital cell. 

 (12) 9. Antenna with at least thirty-five joints. 

 (11) 10. Post-petiole twice longer than apically 



broad : abdomen longer. . . 4. deceptor, Wesm. 



