4 i4 M. W. R. de V. GRAHAM 



laricis ; the specimens from beech galls must have belonged to some other genus 

 than Rhopalicus. 



Pteromalus immaculatus Ratzeburg. Transferred to Dinotus [=Dinotiscus] by 

 Kurdjumov (1913 : 10) who remarked " this species is a transitional form to the 

 genus Rhopalicus ". Ratzeburg, however (1848 : 189) considered immaculatus to be 

 probably only a form of spinolae [= Rhopalicus tutela] and this seems more likely. 



Rhopalicus annellus Thomson. Type $ not seen ; Ferriere (1948 : 520) stated that 

 he had examined it and found it to be the same as tutela (Walker) . 



As Hedqvist (1963) remarked, this species varies greatly in size and wing-markings. 

 Females usually have a dark cloud beneath the stigma of the fore wing, but this may 

 be absent (most often in small specimens). Large males have bold and extensive 

 wing-markings, consisting of a smaller cloud on the disc below the parastigma and 

 a larger one below the stigma ; sometimes the two spots are joined. Smaller males 

 tend to have the spots reduced, and one (or rarely both) may be absent. 



Widely distributed in Europe. 



Biology. A common parasite of a number of genera and species of Scolytidae ; 

 also recorded from species of Pissodes (Curculionidae) ; for a list see Hedqvist, 1963. 

 The latter gave a full account of the known facts relating to the biology of the species. 

 He stated that its time of appearance extends over most of the summer and that it 

 has no marked peak-period. There appear to be 2 generations in good seasons, 

 possibly more in some Continental countries. In Britain imagines have been 

 captured in the field from May until September. 



Rhopalicus brevicornis Thomson 



Pteromalus quadratus Ratzeburg, 1844a : 203, <j>- 



Pteromalus Neostadiensis Ratzeburg, 1844a : 204, $. 



Rhopalicus brevicornis Thomson, 1878 : 43, $. 



Rhopalicus brevicornis Thomson ; Ferriere, 1948 : 519, 521, $. 



Rhopalicus brevicornis Thomson ; Hedqvist, 1963 : 71, 79-82, o* ?• 



Type material. Pteromalus quadratus Ratzeburg. Types presumed destroyed. 

 The species was placed in Rhopalicus by Kurdjumov (1913 : 10) and the description 

 certainly suggests that it may have been the same as brevicornis Thomson. 



Pteromalus neostadiensis Ratzeburg. Holotype $ presumed lost. The species 

 was placed in synonymy with brevicornis Thomson by Kurdjumov (1913 : 10) and 

 this seems a reasonable conclusion. 



Rhopalicus brevicornis Thomson. Types seen but no lectotype yet selected. 



North-western Europe, including Britain. 



Biology. Parasite of Hylurgops palliatus Gyll., Phloeosinus thuyae Perr., Blasto- 

 phagus minor Htg., B. piniperda L., Pityogenes bidentatus Herbst., P. quadridens 

 Htg., P. monacensis Fuchs, Orthotomicus proximus Eichh., Ips acuminatus Gyll., 

 I. amitinus Eichh. (for details of the biology see Hedqvist, 1963 : 80-82). Imagines 

 may be found over most of the summer (mostly June- July) ; there is often more than 

 one generation. 



