THE PEZOMACHI (Ichneumonida) OF GUERNSEY. 



BY W. A. LUFF, F.E.S. 



The insects comprising the genus Pezomachus are at once 

 distinguished by the entire absence of wings in most of the 

 species, and their general ant-like appearance. Up to the 

 appearance of the following list two or three species only 

 were recorded for Guernsey. Mr. E. D. Marquand, whilst 

 collecting other insects this summer, captured all the specimens 

 he could find in different parts of the island, with the result 

 that we have now a fine list of twenty-one species. The 

 Pezomachi are all very small Ichneumons that pass the larval 

 stage in the bodies of spiders and the larva? of moths and other 

 insects. When in the perfect state, they are very nimble 

 and active in their movements, and it requires a sharp eye and 

 quick hand to capture them. Up to the present they have 

 been let severely alone by most collectors, on account of 

 the difficulty in getting them satisfactorily named. Mr. 

 Claude Morley has however overhauled them, and has des- 

 cribed all the species found in Great Britain, in the second 

 volume of his valuable work on British Ichneumons. Mr. 

 Morley kindly undertook to name the specimens taken by Mr. 

 Marquand, so that the accuracy of the present list is assured. 

 This is a valuable addition to our local insect fauna, especially 

 as it represents a section not often worked by collectors. 

 I have added the dates when the specimens were captured, as 

 well as the localities. 



Pezomachus kiesenwetteri, Forst. Seven specimens taken at Moulin 



Huet on July 29th ; Icart, 11th and 16th June, 31st July ; Saints' Bay, 



June 8th, and Petit Bo, 26th August. 

 P. ZOnatus, Forst. This species has several times been bred from the nests 



of a spider {Agroeca brunnea, BL). Two specimens were taken, one on the 



7th September, and one on July 31st. 

 P. PUfipes, Forst. One at Saints' Bay, June 8th. One at Jerbourg, 14th 



June, and one at Bee du Nez, July 5th. 

 P. eautUS, Forst. This is a rare species, four specimens only have been 



mentioned as taken in Great Britain. One was captured on 16th June 



at Icart. One at Saints' Bay on 21st June. Two were also captured in 



Sark. 



[1909.] 



