i892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



89 



THE HYMENOPTERA - ACULEATA 

 OF LANCASHIRE & CHESHIRE, 



BY WILLOUGHBY GARDNER, F.R.G.S. 

 (Continued from page 32). 



PEMPHREDONID.^. 

 The females of this family often burrow in dead tree trunks, posts, 

 &c. (P. lugubris J, or in rose and bramble sticks (P. tmicolor, P. lethifer, 

 D. trisHs, Stigmus pendulus, and P. insignis), and sometimes in sandy 

 banks (D. miniitiLs and 5. troglotydes). They prey usually upon 

 Aphides, collected from roses and other plants. 



DioDONTUS, Curt. 



minutus. Fab. — Bowden, B.C. 

 Pemphredon, Latr. 



lugubris. Fab. - Abundant in the district, B.C. Taken at Bold, 

 H.H.H. 



unicolor, Latr. — Abundant, B.C. Taken frequently at Chester, 



on lilac leaves, E.C.T., R.N. 

 lethifer. Shuck. — Abundant B.C. Bred from bramble stems at 



Great Meols, W.G. 



MIMESID^. 



Economy various; Mimesa tinicolov and Psen pallipes make their 

 cells in the hollow straws of a thatched roof, and P. pallipes sometimes 

 burrows in bramble stems; M. bicolor forms large colonies in smdy 

 districts. Psen pallipes preys upon Aphides and M. bicolor upon species 

 of Tettigonia. 

 Mimesa, Shuck. 



bicolor, Jur. — Delamere, B.C. 

 Psen, Latr. 



pallipes, Panz. — atraUis, Panz, Shuck, &c. — Manchester and 

 Bowden, B.C., and taken in Cheshire, J.T.G. 



NYSSONID^. 



These brightly coloured insects apparently deposit their eggs in 

 empty burrows previously excavated by other species ; they are very 

 partial to the flowers of the wood-spurge and prey upon various larvae. 

 Nysson, Latr. 



spinosus, Fab. — Common in the district, B.C. 

 Gorytes, Latr. 



mystaceus, Linn. —Manchester, Bowden, Hazelgrove and Marple, 

 B.C., Halsnead, H.H.H. 



