86 M. W. R. de V. GRAHAM 



Britain, Sweden, Czechoslovakia ; probably widely distributed in Europe. 



Biology. The species has been reared from the nests of Sturnus vulgaris L., 

 Riparia riparia (L.) and Aegithalos caudatus rosaceus Matth. (Aves) (see Ferriere, 

 1934 : 90). 



Some females of nidicola captured in a nest of Riparia riparia (L.) near Oxford, on 

 2.X.1955 (/. K. Bates), had their wings bitten off at about the level of the junction of 

 the parastigma with the marginal vein. It looks as though the female does this in 

 in order to facilitate her movements in the nest. So far as I know, this interesting 

 phenomenon has not been observed in any other Chalcidoid, though it is well known 

 that female ants do it when going underground. Granger (1944 : 91) found it in 

 some numbers in hens' nests infested by the flea Ceratophyllus gallinae Schr. at 

 Chartrettes, France, on 18.viii.1937 and it was also found in hens' nests near Oxford 

 (/. K. Bates). Imagines Aug.-October. 



CHRYSOLAMPINAE 



This group has most often been placed in Perilampidae but Peck (in Muesebeck, 

 Krombein & Townes, 1951 : 539) transferred two of its component genera, 

 Chrysolampus and Elatus, to Pteromalidae (subfamily Sphegigasterinae, tribe 

 Lamprotatini) . In my opinion this action was correct. Chrysolampus (including 

 Elatus), Chry Somalia, and Br achy elatus appear to me to have no real connexion 

 with Perilampidae, although superficially they resemble them in many respects. 

 These genera, however, do not have the characteristic thoracic structure of Peri- 

 lampidae, the pronotum in particular, being free and not immovably co-adapted to 

 the mesopleuron. A study of the biology of these genera is very desirable, par- 

 ticularly of the eggs and larvae. The known larvae of true Perilampidae are peculiar 

 in being planidial in their earliest stage, whereas this type of larvae is unknown in 

 Pteromalidae. Meanwhile I regard the Chrysolampinae as being fairly close to 

 Miscogasterinae (= Lamprotatinae) though sufficiently distinct to warrant their 

 separation as a subfamily. 



Key to European Genera 

 In all the genera, both mandibles have two teeth. 



1 Gastral petiole (Text-fig. 53) longer than broad, its dorsal surface nearly flat, 



reticulate, with three or five longitudinal carinae (one median, two lateral, 

 sometimes two submedian) ; basal tergite of gaster dorsally subconnate with 

 the second tergite, nearly as in Perilampus. Thorax sometimes with 



coarse punctures CHRYSOLAMPUS Spinola (p. 87) 



- Gastral petiole at least slightly transverse, weakly sculptured, without longi- 



tudinal carinae ; hind margin of basal tergite of gaster overlapping the 

 second tergite. Thorax without coarse punctures ..... 2 



2 (1) Fore wing with marginal vein with several rather long outstanding bristles 



along its front edge ; postmarginal vein approximately as long as the stigmal 

 vein ; wing with a yellowish discal cloud. Pronotal collar sharply margined. 

 Axillae approximated, the scutellum therefore narrowing strongly towards 

 its base. Gaster with second tergite distinctly longer than the third ; 



