83 



Our member Mr. H. A. Auld contributed one species of Bra- 

 conidae, viz. the rare Meteorus pulchriiornis, Wesm., the host being 

 Theda beiulcz, L. Mr. Barker sent two males and one female of the 

 very handsome Amblyteies subseiicans, Gr., reared from larvae of 

 Odonesiis potatoria, L. These were quickly followed by two females 

 of Limneria ruficincia, Gr., from pupae of A?iaria myrtilU, L. ; while 

 from the larvae of Tliera variata, Schiff, several specimens of both 

 sexes of Limneria femoralis, Gr., were bred. Mr. Barker's last 

 addition was a dipteron, Exorista iota, Meig., from the larvae of 

 Acronycta psi, L. This rarity Mr. Adkin had previously sent to me 

 from A gratis ashworthii, Dbl. 



I now deal with species reared by myself Of Meteorus versicolor, 

 Wesm., perhaps the prettiest of the whole of the known Braconidae, 

 I bred two females from a cocoon found attached to a black currant 

 bush in my garden at Peckham. From the pupae oi Snierinthus populi, 

 L., both sexes of Apaiiteles dificilis, Nees, were reared in some 

 numbers ; the larvae of Vanessa urticcB, L., produced both sexes of 

 the pretty little Microplitis tristis, Nees, while from several larvae of 

 Pieris brassicce, L., large numbers of the omnivorous Braconid, 

 Apanteles ftilvipes, Hal., were bred in both sexes ; another host of 

 this parasite was the larva of Triphcena orbona, Hufn. When the 

 larvae of this parasite are fully grown they proceed to spin their 

 cocoons on the body of the dead caterpillar which has served them 

 as host, and sometimes there are as many as thirty-eight to forty in a 

 brood. But the average number is about twenty, the period in the 

 pupa state lasting about a fortnight. In the present case all had 

 assumed the perfect state in thirteen days from their emergence from 

 the caterpillar. From the pupae of Cidaria picata, Hb., I succeeded 

 in rearing a single male and female of the large and handsome 

 Cryptus diance, Gr. ; these were closely followed by a single male 

 of Ichneumon periscelis, Wsm., its host being the larva of Spilosoma 

 fu/iginosa, L, 



The next in order to appear were both sexes of a very showy 

 ichneumon, Amblyteles pailiatorius, Gr., from the larvae of CucuUia 

 verbasci, L. ; and on the same day that these insects emerged I was 

 fortunate enough to rear two specimens of the very fine Tryphonid 

 Mesoleius rufus, Gr. This hands^ome species, although not bred 

 from a lepidopterous host, is certainly worthy of mention. The 

 cocoon from which they were reared was that of a saw-fly larva, 

 Trichiosoina lucorum, Thoms., and was kindly presented to me by 

 my friend Mr. Adkin, who had received it from Scotland. 



The next species bred was Apanteles fraternus, Reinh., in some 

 numbers of both sexes, its host being the larva of Boarmia repan- 

 data, L. This curious species of Bracon is particularly prolific, as 

 many as loo larvae emerging from a solitary victim. A larva of 

 Cucidlia verbasci, L., yielded the very rare Braconid, Microplitis 

 doleus, Marshall, in both sexes ; closely followed by three males and 

 five females of Microplitis vidua, Ruthe., the victim in this case 



