96 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



[Mat 



NEW SPECIES OF BRITISH ICHNEUMONID^l, 



Paper read before the Entomological Society of London, ist May, 1889. 

 By G. C. BIGNELL, F.E.S. 



(SEE PLATE.) 



PIMPLA RUFIPLEURA, N.Sp. 



Head smooth and shining; antennae of female as long as from 

 scutellum to the end of abdominal segments ; antennae of male a little 

 shorter; thorax smooth and shining, with scattered shallow punctures; 

 abdomen about twice the length of the head and thorax, almost cylin- 

 drical; segments almost quadrate, second the longest, covered with 

 coarse punctures ; apical margins rather broad, smooth and polished, 

 aculeus one-third the length of the abdomen, about as long as segments 

 2, 3 and 4 combined; transverse anal nervure of hind wing, divided in 

 the middle. 



Black. Female: — Head with narrow line close to the eyes, from 

 vertex to clypeus ; clypeus and base of mandibles, and palpi pinkish ; 

 a pinkish dash on the scutellum and metanotum, and a line before the 

 wings; pleura rufous; legs, tricolour; middle and hind coxae, tro- 

 chanters and femora ferruginous; front coxae, much lighter; hind 

 femora, the extreme apex whitish, a black dot on the upper side at the 

 base; front and middle tibiae and tarsi ferruginous; middle tarsi at the 

 extreme apex, fuscous; hind tibiae, base, and middle, whitish; a ring 

 near the base, and the entire apex, black ; tarsi, whitish ; extreme apex 

 of joints, black. 



Male: — Face, and underside of scape and nagellum, pinkish; other- 

 wise like the female. Length 8 M.M. 



Twenty-three males and females of this unique species were bred 

 10th April, 1888, from a batch of cocoons kindly sent to me by Dr. T. 

 A. Chapman, who obtained them from a larva of Pygava curtula. This 

 batch of cocoons were so like a cluster of Macrocentrus cocoons that 

 Mr. Bridgman at first sight could scarcely credit they were those of 

 a Pimftla, which, as a rule, are solitary parasites; but fortunately one 

 male died within its cocoon, which I desired Mr. Bridgman to remove 

 to make certain that I was correct in my observations, which he did 

 and he is now able to vouch, if necessary, for the accuracy of my 

 statement. — Clarence Place, Stonehouse, Plymouth. 



