PTEROMALIDAE OF N.W. EUROPE 487 



o*. Very similar to that of grandiclava (redescribed by me, 1956 : 91). The funicular seg- 

 ments of the antenna appear to be relatively very slightly longer than in male grandiclava, 

 quadrate, or the proximal ones very slightly elongate, whilst the propodeal nucha is perhaps 

 slightly larger. 



Holotype $. Finland : Tikkurila, beginning of May 1956 (M. Markkula), in 

 Hope Department, University Museum, Oxford. 



Paratypes. Same data as holotypes, several <$<$ and $$, in Graham collection ; 

 England : Berkshire, Wytham, 3 §, 23. vi. 1956 {Graham), in Graham collection. 



Biology. The specimens reared by Mr. Martti Markkula were obtained when 

 investigating the biology of the clover weevil, Phytonomus nigrirostris F., but it is 

 not certain whether they were actually parasitizing this beetle. They were identified 

 by me as S. grandiclava (Walker) since at that time I thought them to come within 

 the range of variation of that species. 



Sceptrothelys parviclava sp. n. 



(Text-figs. 362, 363) 



$. Head and thorax deep green, verging towards bluish in parts ; almost the whole surface 

 of the gaster with strong bluish green reflections. Mandibles reddish with fuscous teeth. 

 Antennal scape reddish testaceous, its distal third fuscous ; pedicellus fuscous ; flagellum black. 

 Coxae concolorous with the thorax ; legs otherwise mainly reddish testaceous ; femora basally, 

 the hind ones mainly, fuscous ; knees, tips of mid and hind tibiae, and bases of mid and hind 

 tarsi, paler testaceous ; tips of tarsi fuscous. Tegulae and wing venation brownish testaceous ; 

 wings hyaline. Length 2-7 mm. 



Antenna (Text-fig. 362) with scape reaching level with the lower edge of the median ocellus ; 

 combined length of pedicellus and flagellum about equal to breadth of head ; pedicellus in 

 profile nearly twice as long as broad ; flagellum only moderately clavate ; first funicular 

 segment about as long as, and distinctly stouter than, the pedicellus, slightlyjelongate, second 

 and third subquadrate, fourth to sixth more or less transverse, the fourth slightly so, sixth about 

 1 -5 times as broad as long. Clava about equal in length to the three preceding funicular seg- 

 ments ; in ventral view (Text-fig. 363) the apical margin of the first claval segment is nearly 

 straight, that of the second segment is deeply excised ; the area of micropilosity extends about 

 half way towards the base of the clava. 



Pronotal collar indistinctly margined, reticulate, with a narrow shiny strip along its hind 

 margin. Propodeum with median carina strong ; nucha occupying rather more than one 

 third of the total length of the sclerite. Fore wing with basal vein pilose throughout ; marginal 

 vein i-6 times as long as the stigmal vein ; postmarginal vein nearly as long as the marginal. 



Gaster conic-ovate, about twice as long as broad, slightly longer than the thorax ; basal 

 tergite (third abdominal) occupying hardly one third of the total length, last tergite about as 

 long as its basal breadth. 



Otherwise resembles grandiclava (Walker) (see my redescription of that species, 1956 : 89-91) ; 

 the chief characters which distinguish it from that species and the others of the genus are given 

 in the accompanying key. 



<£. The males mentioned in my key to Habrocytus <$<$ as doubtfully those of 

 S. parviclava may in fact belong to it, but I am not certain. 



Holotype $. England : Lancashire South, Freshfield, 2.vi.i959, swept from a 

 patch of Carex nigra (L.), in the northern part of Massam's Slack (Graham), in 

 Graham collection. 



