BRACONIDJE. 
170 
are closely similar to the females in general appearance, but without 
ovipositor. 
The life history is, so far as known, parasitic, the larvae living at the 
expense of other insects, usually Lepidoptera. In spite of the multipli¬ 
city of species and their great im¬ 
portance, little is known of the life 
history of these insects beyond the 
fact of their parasitism. As in other 
parasitic insects, there are points 
about the details of the larval life 
which are shrouded in darkness and 
deserve further study. The re¬ 
marks made above as to the general 
life of these parasitic hymenoptera 
apply to this family. 
This large family has representatives in every part of the globe, 
and though the Indian species are probably little known, 57 species are 
listed as Indian by Szepligetti. 
Fig'. 94— Pupa casus of a bbaconid 
SUSPENDED FROM A LEAF. 
Bracon is a large genus with nearly thirty Indian species largely 
Himalayan. Of these, B. nicevillei , Bingh., is parasitic on the larva 
of Scirpophaga auriflua , Zell, and other insects. This species is so named 
in honour of Mr. L. de Niceville who first reared it in Behar. (Indian Mu¬ 
seum Notes, Vol. V, No. 3, p. 177.) 
It is a large insect, the wings orange 
and black (fig. 93), very conspicu¬ 
ous, and a valuable check upon 
this pest. The female has a long 
ovipositor with which to penetrate 
the cane and reach the larva. Little 
is known of other species, which 
have been principally collected in 
the hills. A number of plains 
species have been reared and the 
more important of these are the 
following :—Aphidius avence, Hal., 
is parasitic upon the wheat aphis 
Fig. 95— Microdus fumifexnis. 
[i. i\r. n.j 
