454 M. W. R. de V. GRAHAM 



postmarginal vein were not quite accurate ; and if the later figures, and Delucchi's 

 key-description, are correct, then it seems likely that fdicornis is the same as 

 febriculosus. 



There is some variation in British specimens of febriculosus as regards the colour 

 of the legs. Most of the females have all the coxae black and the femora entirely 

 yellow ; some, however, have the femora darkened proximally (in one specimen 

 they are extensively infuscate). On the other hand, one female has the internal 

 aspect of the fore coxae pale. The specimens with darkened femora would run in 

 Delucchi's key (1957a) to fulviventris and budensis, which are quite different in 

 other respects from febriculosus. The proportions of the funicular segments also 

 vary somewhat in females of febriculosus ; in large specimens these segments may 

 be i-6 times as long as broad, while in some small ones they are nearly quadrate. 



Europe (Britain, Central Europe, U.S.S.R.) ; Canada, U.S.A. 



Biology. A list of the recorded hosts of febriculosus is given by Peck (1963 : 649). 

 It includes Hymenoptera of the families Cephidae, Braconidae, Eupelmidae, 

 Eurytomidae (Tetramesa spp.) and Platygasteridae ; also Phytophaga (=Mayetiola) 

 destructor (Say) (Dipt., Cecidomyiidae) . The species is a solitary (and normally 

 primary) ectoparasite. In America some workers have observed at least two 

 generations per annum (see Gahan, 1933 : 98) with a wide range over the season. 

 In Britain adults have been captured in the field from May until August (but most 

 in June- July). 



Homoporus fulviventris (Walker) 



Pteromalus fulviventris Walker, 1835 : 190, $. 



Pteromalus bicolor Forster, 1841 : 24, " <$ " [recte $]. 



? Merisus bicolor Six, 1876 : 135, pi. 6, fig. 4, $. 



Homoporus fulviventris (Walker) Thomson, 1878 : 64-65,0* ?• 



Homoporus fulviventris (Walker) ; Delucchi, 1957a : 407, 415,6* $■ 



Type material. Pteromalus fulviventris Walker. Several specimens are so 

 labelled but some are probably not original material. LECTOTYPE, a $ bearing 

 a Waterhouse label, also one in Ch. Ferriere's handwriting " This seems to be the 

 Type. CF ". 



Pteromalus bicolor Forster. The probable type, according to Delucchi (1957a : 

 416) is a $ in the Forster collection in Vienna. I have not seen the specimen but 

 accept the opinion of Delucchi, who synonymized bicolor with fulviventris (ibid. : 

 416). 



Merisus bicolor Six. Location of types unknown to me (? possibly in Rijksmuseum 

 van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden). The species was evidently described as new, 

 as Six made no reference to Forster's bicolor. The description and figure suggest 

 that it must be the same as fulviventris (Walker) . 



Widely distributed in Europe. In my experience it occurs most frequently in 

 dry habitats (e.g., chalk downland, sand-dunes). 

 Biology. Unknown. Imagines May-Sept. 



