THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XLVIL] OCTOBER, 1914. [No. 617 



CONTEIBUTIONS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE 

 BRITISH BRACONIDiE. No. 2.— MACROCENTRID^, 

 WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES. 



By G. T. Lyle, F.E.S. 



(Plate VI.) 



The insects of this smcall family were first separated from 

 Rhogas by Curtis in 1832 and 1833,* when he brought forward 

 the genera Macrocentrus and Zele. Forster proposed two addi- 

 tional genera, the one, Amicroplus, a division of Macrocentrus^ 

 and the other, Homolobus, a dismemberment of Zele A Ashmead 

 has raised the genera of Curtis to the dignity of tribes, t which 

 is quite necessary if Forster's genera be accepted, for a glance 

 will show that Amicroplus and Homolobus cannot rank equally 

 with Macrocentrus and Zele ; indeed, Marshall considered that 

 Forster's genera were founded on characters purely specific. § 

 Our few British species may, for convenience, be treated under 

 the two original genera : — 



Abdomen elongate, sessile ; fore wings with three 

 cubital areolets, radial areolet elongate. 



(1) Spurs of hind tibise very considerably shorter than 



half the metatarsi ; first abdominal segment 

 not or scarcely longer than the second ; terebra 

 at least as long as the abdomen . . Macrocentrus. 



(2) Spurs of hind tibiae as long as half the metatarsi, 



first abdominal segment much longer than 

 the second ; terebra short . . . Zele. 

 I must again express my thanks to various entomologists 

 who have presented me with specimens, to Dr. D. Sharp and 

 Mr. H. F. Bailey for the loan of books, to Mr. Claude Morley, 

 who, with his usual kindness, has sent me for inspection several 

 insects from his collection, to Col. Nurse for a similar courtesy, 



■'■ Ent, Mag., vol. 1. 



f Synop. der Fam. und Gatt. der Braeonen. 1862. 

 I " Classification of Ichneumon Flies," Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. xxiii. 

 p. 118. 



§ ' Species des Hym. d'Europe at d'Algerie,' vol. 5, p. 228. 

 ENTOM. — OCTOBER, 1914. Y 



