PTEROMALIDAE OF N.W. EUROPE 773 



o*. Differs from the 9 as follows : 



Antennal scape often entirely testaceous ; pedicellus often pale beneath, or entirely so ; 

 flagellum brownish-testaceous to fuscous. Length 1-1-75 mm. 



Apparently always brachypterous. Fore wings reaching at most to about middle of gaster, 

 sometimes hardly beyond the apex of the propodeum ; very narrow, with the marginal, stigmal 

 and postmarginal veins thickened, stigma relatively large; sometimes the triangular area between 

 the postmarginal and stigmal veins is sclerotized like the veins ; apical portion of wing, beyond 

 the stigmal vein, reduced, the apical margin usually rounded but sometimes subtruncate in 

 specimens with exceptionally short wings. 



Head in dorsal view (Text-fig. 641) 1-9-2 times as broad as long. Eyes separated by 13- 

 135 times their length. Antennal scape reaching level of vertex or very slightly above it ; 

 combined length of pedicellus and flagellum about equal to, or slightly greater than, the breadth 

 of the head ; funicle cylindrical, hardly stouter than the pedicellus ; first funicular segment as 

 long as or distinctly shorter than the second segment, quadrate to somewhat transverse ; 

 following segments usually about quadrate, occasionally very slightly longer than broad, or 

 slightly transverse ; clava 3-2-3-5 times as long as broad, hardly broader than the funicle, 

 rather more pointed apically than in the female. 



Gaster oval or, if the apical segments are retracted, subcircular or somewhat transverse, 

 broader than the thorax. 



Europe, possibly the whole, but only specimens from Britain, Ireland, Sweden, 

 Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia critically examined ; it appears to be 

 one of the commonest species of the genus. The species recorded from North 

 America under the name nidulans Thomson by several authors, and later as 

 hemipterus (Walker) by Peck (1963 : 684-686) is misidentified ; there is no undoubted 

 record of the true hemipterus from North America. 



Biology. The following reared specimens are in the BM(NH). Sweden, Vaster- 

 gotland, Tiarp, 18.vii.1958, one female, from Mayetiola destructor (Say) (A. Borg). 

 Switzerland, Zurich, 31.vii.1935, one male and one female, from pupa of Chlorops 

 taeniopus Mg. [=pumilionis (Bjerk.)] (K. Roos). The record of Hardh (1950) from 

 M. destructor is probably correct. The hosts cited for hemipterus by Peck (1963 : 

 686) refer to another species (peregrinus sp. n.). On 15.vii.1959 I swept several 

 specimens of hemipterus from lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) at Wytham, Berkshire ; 

 these might have been attacking some host on this plant. Note that the allied 

 species micropterus has been recorded from seeds of lucerne. 



Eupteromalus sp. indet. E 



England : Berkshire, Wytham, 1 $, 31.vii.1958 (Graham). Might be a form of 

 hemipterus, but the marginal vein seems too short for it to be within the range of 

 variation of that species. 



Eupteromalus sp. indet. F 



Ireland : Co. Wicklow, Manor Kilbride, 1 $, 18.vi.1953 ; coast near Bray, 

 1 $, 16.viii.1954 (Graham). Also very near hemipterus ; perhaps a form of it. 



