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Additional Notes on the Hymenopterous and Dipterous 

 Parasites bred by the Members of the South London 

 Entomological and Natural History Society during the 

 years 1891 and 1892. 



By T. R. BiLLUPS, F.E.S. Read Feb. 27/^, 1896. 



In this, my third paper dealing with the parasites reared from 

 Lepidopterous hosts by the members of the South London Entomo- 

 logical Society, we have some very valuable material collected during 

 the years 1891 and 1892, throwing light upon the life-history of 125 

 parasites of Lepidopterous larvae not previously referred to. 



I hope that many members, more particularly the younger ones, 

 may be induced to follow the example of those gentlemen who have 

 hitherto rendered such valuable aid, and that, at a not very distant 

 date, we may be enabled to largely extend the list of these interesting 

 parasites. The arrangement of this list is slightly different from that 

 of previous ones. The names of the collectors are here enumerated 

 alphabetically, and followed in each case by the names of the hosts 

 and parasites bred therefrom. Commencing with my friend Mr. 

 Adkin, to whom falls the lion's share of thanks — indeed, I owe him 

 a deep debt of gratitude for his valued help, — even the most minute 

 species have not escaped his observation. His first host was Cedestis 

 gyssekniella, Dup., from which both sexes of a very pretty Cryptida, 

 Heiniteles bicolorinus, Gr., M-as bred. This was followed by Arctia 

 caia^ L., from which no less than fifty- two specimens of Apanteks 

 caicE, Bouche, were bred. This curious little species of Braconidse, 

 although gregarious, is not at all common. Another species of 

 Braconidse, equally rare, was bred from the larvae of Trochi- 

 lium bevibeciforviis, Hb., namely, Bracon mediator^ Nees, Mr. 

 Adkin rearing eight males and two females. This species had 

 hitherto only been bred from the larvse of T. apiformis, Clerk. 

 From the larvae of Lithocolletis vacciniella, Scott, from Rannoch, Mr. 

 Adkin bred another rarity, Apanteks contaminatus, Hal. This 

 species of Braconidae had hitherto only been recorded by Mr. W. 

 H. B. Fletcher, who bred it from an undetermined Tineid, mining 

 the leaves of Arctosiaphylos uva-iirsi (the bearberry). The larva of 

 Nepticula weaveri, Doug., produced both sexes of Apanteks xantho- 

 stigjnus, Hal. ; while from the larvae oi Retina pinkolana, Dbl., both 

 sexes of Orgilus obscurator, Nees, were bred. Two males and one 

 female of a true Ophionid, Mesochorus confusus, Ratz., were bred 

 from the larvae of Cidaria sagittata, Fb., and a solitary female of 

 the somewhat rare Bracon, Meteorics pallidipes, Wesm., resulted from 

 the larvae of Pcedisca sordidana, Hb. At the same time the larvae 

 of Pcedisca seiiiifuscajia, St., from Derry, produced numbers of both 



