PTEROMALIDAE OF N.W. EUROPE 719 



slightly shorter than head plus thorax ; length of last tergite from about two thirds, to as long 

 as, its basal breadth, therefore on the average rather longer than in nanus. Propodeum and 

 antennal segments as described in my key to species (q.v.). 



Britain, Ireland, Sweden, ? Germany, ? U.S.S.R. 



Biology. Very probably the species is parasitic on Chloropid flies. T. cristatus 

 (Forster), which is probably a synonym of posticus (Walker), has been recorded as 

 parasitizing Oscinosoma Oscinella] frit (L.) and Chloropisca notata (Mg.) ; see 

 Nikol'skaya, 1937. These records need confirmation. Imagines appear July- 

 September. 



Trichomalus statutus (Forster) 



Pteromalus fertilis Forster, 1841 : 20, $, syn. n. 



Pteromalus statutus Forster, 1841 : 20, $. 



Trichomalus statutus (Forster) Delucchi & Graham, 1956 : 552-554, $ [ex parte]. 



Type material : Pteromalus fertilis Forster. Syntypes, 2 $. LECTOTYPE, a 

 specimen labelled " Collect. G. Mayr " ; " Tr. fertilis Forster Type " ; " fertilis m." 

 (in Forster's handwriting) ; " Trichomalus fertilis F6. <j>. V. Delucchi det. 54 " ; 

 and (on a red label) " TYPE ". The specimen lacks the wings and one antenna, 

 but agrees in other respects with the type of statutus. 



Pteromalus statutus Forster. Syntypes, 2 $. LECTOTYPE labelled " Collect. 

 G. Mayr " ; " Pt. statutus Forster Type " ; " statutus m." (in Forster's handwrit- 

 ing) ; " Trichomalus statutus F6. V. Delucchi det. " ; and (on a red label) " TYPE ". 



The redescription of the female of statutus in Delucchi & Graham (1956) is incorrect 

 in some respects. Thus the gaster was said to be " aussi long ou peu plus long 

 que le thorax, une fois et demie plus long que large " ; but in the lectotype (which I 

 have re-examined) it is nearly as long as the head plus thorax and twice as long as 

 broad. The gaster of the lectotype of fertilis is very similar, but just a little less 

 elongate. In the same paper (p. 552) lucidus Forster, versutus Forster, and frontalis 

 Thomson, were cited as synonyms of statutus ; but as a result of further study, I 

 now regard all these as synonyms of nanus (Walker). 



I have examined a few females from Czechoslovakia which agree with the 

 lectotypes of statutus and fertilis. They differ from those of nanus (Walker) in 

 their longer gaster, slightly different propodeum, and antennae ; and from those 

 of oxygyne in their slightly shorter gaster. They are in fact very close to the 

 females of posticus (Walker) and might prove to be a form of that species ; however, 

 they have the gaster slightly more acuminate than in any of my British posticus, 

 and appear to be doubtfully within the range of variation of that species. At 

 present statutus is kept separate until its status can be confirmed. 



Germany, Czechoslovakia. 



Biology. This species was recorded (Secretariat, etc., 1966 : 121, 131) as a 

 parasite of Oscinella frit (L.) (Dipt., Chloropidae) in Czechoslovakia, but the record 

 needs to be checked in view of the confusion between statutus (Forster) and nanus 

 (Walker). 



