PTEROMALIDAE OF N.W. EUROPE 577 



Type material. One female, LECTOTYPE (possibly holotype), labelled " Gl. " 

 [Gottland] ; " Bhn " [Boheman] ; " squamifera Ths." ; (in A. Jansson's hand- 

 writing) " Lectotype des. by A. Jansson " ; and " ABLAXIA squamifera Ths. V. 

 Delucchi det ". 



Britain, Sweden, Moldavian S.S.R. New records : — England : Oxfordshire, 

 Otmoor, $$, 25.viii.1g56, 8.ix.i956, in a lane near oak trees (Quercus robur L.). 



The male of squamifera has not yet been described. I have a male which probably 

 belongs to this species but do not think it appropriate to describe it at present. 



Biology. Has been reared in England in association with wood-boring beetles 

 (Magdalis, Scolytus, etc.) of which it is probably a parasite. Imagines Aug.-Sept. 



Ablaxia parviclava (Thomson) 

 (Text-figs. 423, 426) 



Etroxys (Caenacis) parviclava Thomson, 1878 : 99, $. 

 ? Etroxys (Caenacis) planiscuta Thomson, 1878 : 99, $. 

 Ablaxia parviclava (Thomson) Delucchi, 1957 : 146, $. 

 ? Ablaxia planiscuta (Thomson) Delucchi, 1957 : 146, $. 



Type material. Etroxys {Caenacis) parviclava Thomson. Lectotype $ designated 

 by Delucchi (1957 : 146). 



E. (C.) planiscuta Thomson. Two specimens stand under this name but one 

 disagrees with the description and is a Habrocytus. LECTOTYPE, a female 

 labelled " Lp. in. " [Lapponia inferioris] ; " Bhn " [Boheman] ; " planiscuta Ths. V. 

 Delucchi det." ; and " LECTOTYPE " on a red label. The head and gaster are 

 now missing. The character " scutello subdepresso " to which Thomson refers 

 (1878 : 99) is an artefact ; the scutellum of the lectotype is squashed and would 

 originally have been slightly convex, also the pin goes through the hinder half of 

 the mesoscutum and has caused its surface to be abnormally depressed. 



Britain, Sweden. New records. — England : Buckinghamshire, Hell Coppice, 

 near Oakley, $$, 25.viii.1958, 30.viii.1958 {Graham). 



Biology. Unknown. Imagines Aug.-Sept. 



I believe that planiscuta Thomson is probably a form of parviclava Thomson. 

 The lectotype of planiscuta differs from that of parviclava [not counting the 

 characters of the flattened mesoscutum and scutellum, which are produced by 

 distortion] in having the pronotal collar slightly shorter medially, the mesoscutum 

 rather more coarsely reticulate, the plicae and costula of the propodeum weaker 

 and the median carina weaker, fine and irregular. These differences could in my 

 opinion be within the range of variation of a single species. 



Ablaxia temporalis sp. n. 



$. Head and dorsum of thorax dull green, the scutellum more or less tinged with brassy or 

 coppery, in one specimen the vertex and most of the thoracic dorsum are coppery ; sides and 

 ventral parts of thorax black with greenish, bronze and bluish reflections ; gaster with strong 



