PTEROMALIDAE OF N.W. EUROPE 135 



Andersson), in Universitetets Zoologiska Institutionen, Lund. Mr. Andersson told 

 me in a letter that he had bred the Dipterous host from Salix sp. in the same area. 



Paratypes. Same locality as holotype, 1 <$, 16. vi. 1952, 2 <$, 27. vi. 1952 ; in 

 Universitetets Zoologiska Institutionen, Lund. England : Buckinghamshire, Hell 

 Coppice, near Oakley, 1 $, 11.viii.1958, swept from foliage of Salix sp. (either cinerea 

 L. or aurita L.) {Graham), in Graham collection. 



Sphegigaster brevicornis (Walker) comb. n. 



Dicyclus brevicornis Walker, 1833 : 456, $. 



Type material. Syntypes, 2 $. LECTOTYPE, the first specimen, bearing a 

 Waterhouse label, also another in C. Ferriere's handwriting " Type CF ". 



Britain, apparently rare ; near London [Walker) ; Ireland, Co'. Kildare, Grand 

 Canal, i<$, 12. vi. 1954 (A. W.Stelfox). 

 Biology. Unknown. 



Sphegigaster obliqua sp. n. 



(Text-fig. 108) 



$. Head, thorax mainly, gastral petiole, and coxae, bluish black ; mesoscutum, axillae and 

 scutellum olive-green ; gaster black with weak bronze and bluish reflections, most distinct at 

 the base of the first tergite. Mandibles reddish with darker teeth. Antennae fuscous to black- 

 ish, the clava brownish, the scape proximally more or less testaceous. Legs (apart from coxae) 

 brownish or fuscous ; femora reddish at their tips, or more or less striped with reddish ; tibiae 

 more or less reddish at their apices, and in one specimen also narrowly at their bases, the fore 

 tibiae in one specimen reddish ; mid and hind tarsi more or less reddish proximally. Tegulae 

 fuscous. Wings subhyaline ; venation brownish testaceous. Length 2-2 to 25 mm. 



Head (in dorsal view) about 2-1 times as broad as long, shaped much as in nigricornis (Text- 

 fig- 99) I temples converging strongly and only about one quarter as long as the eyes ; POL 

 1-2 to 1 -3 OOL. Eyes separated by nearly 1-3 times their length. Malar space slightly more 

 than one third the length of an eye (14 : 37) ; genae with the hollow above the mandibular 

 base rather small, extending hardly half way to the eye. Antennae (Test-fig. 108) with scape 

 reaching the level of the vertex, its length slightly less than the transverse diameter of an eye. 

 Combined length of pedicellus and flagellum about 0-9 the breadth of the head ; pedicellus 

 virtually twice as long as broad, almost equal to anelli plus first funicular segment ; funicle 

 proximally very slender, not stouter than the pedicellus in profile but thickening distad so that 

 the flagellum is strongly clavate, its first segment 1-3 to 1-4 times as long as broad, second 

 slightly elongate, third and fourth subquadrate, fifth and sixth more or less transverse, sixth 

 strongly so ; clava in profile appearing obliquely truncate, only about 1 -5 times as long as 

 broad, its length slightly less than that of the three preceding funicular segments together ; 

 flagellum with moderately conspicuous, slightly outstanding hairs ; sensilla in one row on each 

 segment, sparse on the funicular segments but numerous on those of the clava. 



Pronotum : collar region with its shoulders nearly rectangular, its front edge without teeth 

 but with a trace of a margin over the middle third. Mesoscutum and scutellum moderately 

 finely, strongly reticulate. Mesoscutum 1 -5 to 1 -6 times as broad as long. Scutellum convex, 

 very slightly broader than long ; frenal line subobsolete. Propodeum slightly more than three 

 quarters the length of the scutellum, its median area with sculpture like that of the scutellum, 

 except the nucha, which is more finely reticulate, especially posteriorly where it is nearly smooth; 

 median carina vaguely indicated by a ridge. Fore wing with costal cell with a complete partly 

 double row of hairs on its lower surface, plus some scattered hairs in the distal quarter, its upper 



