( 363 ) 
XIII. A Monogra'ph of British Braconidee. Part VI. 
By the Rev. Thomas A. Marshall, M.A., F.E.S., 
Member of the Societe Entomologique de France. 
[Read February 20th, 1895.] 
Plate VII. 
XXIV. ALYSIIDES. (Continued from Ent. Tr., 1894, p. 534.) 
xiii. AdelurAj Forster. 
FOrst., Verh. Pr. Rheinl., 1862, p. 267. 
Maxillary palpi 5-, labial 4-jointed. AntennsB long, slender, 
multiarticulate ; 4th joint not, or scarcely, longer than the 3rd. 
Meso thoracic sutures incomplete ; a dorsal fovea before the 
scutellum ; furrow of the mesopleurce more or le.ss distinct, 
either punctate or smooth ; metathorax rugulose, without a 
longitudinal carina. First cubital areolet separated from the 1st 
discoidal ; 2nd complete ; 1st intercubital nervure shorter than the 
2nd abscissa ; stigma elongate, attenuated at both ends, or linear ; 
recurrent and anal nervures not exactly interstitial ;' pobrachial 
areolet of the hindwings at least half as long as the prajbrachial 
prEBbrachial transverse nervure obsolete. Abdomen depressed 
widened behind in the $ , linear in the $ ■ 1st segment rugulose 
narrow, linear, with median spiracular tubercles; 2nd and fol 
lowing segments smooth. Terebra concealed, or very short. 
Forster invented this genus for the reception of Alysia 
florimela, Hal., referring the other cognate species to 
his genera Dcqjsilarthra and Grammosjnla, which he 
separated widely both from Adelura and from each 
other. I am acquainted with a new species which can- 
not be placed in any of those genera, and for which 
another new genus becomes necessary, if the Forsterian 
system be accepted. This being objectionable, I have 
reassembled the scattered species under the heading 
Adelura, which now represents the primitive Section XII. 
of Haliday's Alysia, Brachycentri. These species are 
all closely related, and form a natural group distinguished 
by their short terebra, and a habit of body resembliuo- 
that of Dacnusa ; one species indeed is only separable 
from Dacnusa on account of its three cubital areolets. 
TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1895. — PART III. (rf.pt.) 
364 
Rev. T. A. Marshall's Monograiih of 
There is, however, one dismemberment of the Brachy- 
centri which seems permissible, that of Alyda perdita, 
Hal. ; that author himself, on second thoughts, referred 
it to a separate section, now the genus Anisocyrfn, 
Forster. 
(8) 7. 
(10) 9. 
(9) 10. 
Table of Species. 
Stigma oval, lanceolate, broad in the middle, 
attenuated towards the extremity, emit- 
ting the radial nervure just before the 
middle ... 
Stigma linear, scarcely, or not at all, broader 
in the middle, attenuated towards the 
extremity, emitting the radial nervure not 
far from the base. 
Stigma not reaching- beyond the middle of 
the ratlial areolet ; 2nd cubital areolet 
narrowed' on the outer side. 
Abdomen after the 1st segment reddish or 
testaceous, the posterior segments cinc- 
tured more or less distinctly with dark 
bands ... 
Abdomen black; segment 2 pitchy at the 
base 
Stigma as long as § of the radial areolet, or 
longer, and in that case confounded with 
the metacarp ; 2nd cubital areolet hardly, 
or not at all, uai-rowed on the outer side. 
Second abscissa of the radial nervure not 
longer than the 1st intercubital nervure ; 
2nd cubital areolet very short, not longer 
than broad ; radial areolet somewhat lan- 
ceolate, not reaching the tip of the wing. 
Second abscissa longer than the 1st inter- 
cubital nervure ; 2ud cubital areolet longer 
than broad ; radial areolet cultriform, 
almost reaching the tip of the wing. 
Length, If line ; antennoe $ 50-jointed ... 
Length, 1 line ; autennje $ 35-jointed 
1. florimela, Hal. 
2. rufiventris, Nees, 
3. IsaheUa, Hal. 
4. Diciynna, Marsh. 
5. apii, Curtis. 
6. Sylvia, Hal. 
1. Adel'ura florimela, Hal. 
Alysia florimela, Hal., Ent. Mag., v., 239, $, pi. xvii., 
fig. 20 (wing). 
Adelura florimela, Marsh., Species des Hym. d'Ear. 
et d'Alg,, Bracon., vol. ii., p. 420. 
$ . Black, shining. Head much wider than the thorax ; man- 
dibles red ; palpi pale. Antennae slender, twice as long as the 
body, 48-50- jointed, the two basal joints red, the 4th a little longer 
than the 3rd (which is not the case in the other species). Furrow 
of the mesopleurie rugose ; mesothoracic sutures hardly inchoate ; 
a short linear impression before the scutellum ; metathorax finely 
rugulose. Wings hyaline ; squamula red ; nervure and stigma 
British Braconidw. 381 
.ittennated, sometimes effaced ; 1st cubital arcolet imperfectly 
separated from the 1st discoidal ; 3rd abscissa straight ; pobrachial 
areolet of the hindwings rather longer than half tlie priobracliial. 
Legs rufous ; tips of the hind tibre often obscure. First abdominal 
segment twice as long as its apical width, irregularly striolate. 
Terebra as long as the vertical truncature of the abdomen at its 
extremity. ^J Similar ; antenna) 30-jointed. Length, If ; wings, 
4 lines. 
Var. $ . Antennae somewhat shorter, as long as the body, only 
25-jointed, the two basal joints rufous, and the flagellum obscurely 
rufescent, blackish towards the extremity. Differs tvovsx fuhncornis 
(sp. 2) in that the 3rd cubital areolet is not four times as long as 
the 2nd. 
This probably constitutes the genus Dinotrema, 
Forster^ characterised as having the " Luftlocher des 
Metathorax mittelgross, deutlich.-" It is too common an 
insect to have escaped the notice of Haliday, and seems 
to be included among the varieties of sp. 50 (Ent. Mag., 
V.J 245) without a name, but afterwards called nervosa 
(sp. 9, infra). This latter differs constantly in being 
much smaller, with stouter antenua3, shorter than the 
body, and having fewer articulations, etc. I have seen 
hundreds of the real nervosa, bred all together, and am 
therefore somewhat familiar with its appearance. A. 
prxcijnia is generally distributed, but less abundant than 
nervosa. 
8. Aspilota fuscicornis, Hal. 
Alysia fuscicornis, Hal., Ent. Mag., v., 246, ?. 
Asp. fuscicornis, Mai^sh., Species des Hym. d'Eur. et 
d^Alg., Bracon., vol. ii., p. 440, 6 ? . 
$ . Black or piceous-brown, shining ; mandibles rufous. 
Antenn£B 15-19-jointed (according to Haliday also 13-jointed), 
fuscous with the 3 basal joints rufous, hardly shorter than the 
body. Dorsal fovea of the mesonotum punctiform, often obsolete; 
metathorax very finely rugulose. Wings much longer than the 
abdomen, hyaline ; squamula testaceous ; nervures very pale 
brownish ; 1st cubital areolet separated from the 2nd, and from the 
1st discoidal ; 2nd cubital areolet elongate, narrow, slightly con- 
tracted towards the outer end ; radial areolet longer than half the 
wing. Legs testaceous. First abdominal segment almost linear, 
TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1895. PAET III. (sEPT.) 25 
382 Eev. T. A. Marshall's Monograph of 
or very little enlarged posteriorly, minutely striolate, rufous, 
ruf escent, or nearly black ; 2nd rufescent at the base. Terebra 
exserted, much shorter than the abdomen. $ Similar ; antennae 
17- jointed in my specimen. Length, § ; wings, If lines. 
Var. Rufo-castaneous, with the head and tip of the abdomen 
blackish. Haliday. 
At present I refer to fuscicornis, all specimens of 
minute size having the base of the abdomen rufous, and 
few joints in the antennse. Nevertheless, doubtful in- 
dividuals occur, and the species is far from being well 
established. Common in England, Ireland, and Scot- 
land. 
9. Asj)ilota nervosa, Hal. 
Alyaia (sp. 56,) Hal., Bnt. Mag., v., 245 {jpartim), 
Alysia nervosa, Hal., Hym. Brit., ii., 25. 
Asjp. nervosa, Marsh., Species des Hym. d'Eur. et 
d'Alg., Bracon., vol. ii., p. 441, S ? . 
$ . Black, shining ; mandibles rufous ; palpi obscure ; clypeus 
very short, black, separated from the face by a deep furrow ; face 
prominent, convex, smooth. Antennae shorter than the body, 
stout, slightly thickened in the middle, 18-19-jointed. Meso- 
thoracic sutures effaced ; dorsal fovea punctiform ; metathorax 
dull, punctate-rugulose, sometimes with two small shining areas 
close to the base. Wings hyaline ; squamula pale brownish ; 
nervures distinct, fuscous, arranged as in the preceding species ; 
1st cubital areolet always separated from the 2nd, and from the 
Ist discoidal. Legs rufous ; hind coxae sometimes partially obscure, 
as well as the femora and tibiis of the same pair. Abdomen and 
terebra as ia. fuscicornis. ^ Similar ; antennas wholly black, longer 
than the body, 22-24-jointed ; legs rufescent with the base of 
the hind coxaj obscure, femora more or less fuscous, often with a 
fuscous streak above ; tibiae and tarsi fuscous at the apex. Length, 
1-1:1 ; wings, 2|-3i lines. 
The limits of size given by Haliday sufficiently indicate 
that his description includes more than one species. 
But as some definite type must be selected, if a descrip- 
tion is to have any meaning, I have chosen that which I 
believe to bo the commonest. The specimens which 
furnished the above description were all homogeneous. 
British Braconidx. 383 
formiug part of a great number reared under circum- 
stances favourable to observation. They were parasites 
of an extremely abundant fly, Homalomyia canicularis, 
L. Mr. Bignell, a year or two ago, kept in a glass case 
a nest of Vesjjci vulgaris, L., full of dead wasps in various 
stages of growth. From their decaying bodies issued 
day after day some hundreds of the Homalomyia, accom- 
panied by a proportionate multitude of the parasites. 
These latter, being so numerous, might have been 
expected to exhibit at least some of the varieties con- 
jecturally assigned to nervosa, but I was unable to find 
any deviation from the form here adopted. 1'his seems 
to justify the assamption that slight diflferences in the 
antennge, wings, etc., denote specific distinction, and 
ought not to be vaguely attributed to individual varia- 
tion. The following are divergent forms which I have 
taken at different times, and which I am no longer able 
to regard as varieties of nervosa, though much more 
evidence would be required in order to establish them as 
good species :— 
1. ? Length, f line. Antennfe slender, moniliform, as long as the body; 
17-jointed ; nervures pale testaceous ; 1st cubital areolet imper- 
fectly defined ; legs testaceous. A second example has the 1st 
cubital areolet plainly confounded with the 2nd, the femora and 
tips of the tibite fuscescent. 
3. $ Length, 1 line. Antennas very stout, moniliform, as long as the 
body, IS-jointed ; nervures pale; 1st cubital areolet closed; 2nd 
abdominal segment rufous at the base. 
3. $ Length, ^ line. Antennas slender, moniliform, longer than the 
body, 18-jointed; otherwise like No. 2. 
4 $ Length, f line. Antennas as in No. 3, but 19-jointed ; nervures very 
pale ; 1st cubital areolet incomplete ; radial areolet very long ; 1st 
abdominal segment rufescent. 
5. ? Length, 1 line. Like No. 4, but with 22-jointed antennse. 
6. $ Length, J line. Antennse slender, filiform, longer than the body, 
19-jointed ; wings with a dusky tint, nervures distinct, fuscescent ; 
1st cubital areolet closed ; 2nd elongate, very narrow. 
7. 5 Length, 1 line. AutennsB slender, moniliform, longer than the 
body, 20-joiuted ; nervures pale ; 1st cubital areolet closed ; 2nd 
moderately long. 
8. V Length, 1 line. Antennas rather stout, moniliform, longer than the 
boiiy, 21-jointed, testaceous at the base ; nervures pale ; 1st cubital 
areolet confounded with the 2nd ; abdomen rufo-castaneous with 
the 1st segment clear rufous, smooth and shining. 
9. $ Length, l\ line. Antennas slender, longer than the body, 23- 
jointed, the scape rufous; a punctiform fovea on the mesonotum ; 
nervures pale ; 1st cubital areolet confounded with the 2nd and 
imperfectly separated from the 1st discoidal; 1st segment rufous, 
blackish at the a,pex ; 2nd rufous at the base. 
10. $ $ liike nervosa, but the antennas of the ? are slender, longer than 
the body and 21.-jointed j those of the $ relatively longer, 25- 
jointed ; femora somotimea streaked with black above. 
384 Rev. T. A. Marshall's Monograph of 
10. Aspilota insidiatrix, Marsh. 
Asp. i?isidiatrix, Marsh., Species des Hym. d'Eur. et 
d'Alg., Bracon., vol. ii., p. 414, ? . 
$ . Short, stout, black, shining ; abdomen piceous-brown ; mandi- 
bles rufous; palpi obscure. Antennaa scarcely as long as the body, in- 
crassated towards the apex, 15-jointed, the 2nd joint rufous. 
Mesothoracic sutures effaced ; dorsal fovea shallow, oblong ; meta- 
thorax dull, coriaceous. Wings hyaline ; squamula and nervures 
fusco-testaceous ; 1st intercubital nervure decolorous ; 1st cubital 
areolet imperfectly separated from the 1st discoidal ; 2nd short ; 
2nd abscissa only twice as long as the 1st intercubital nervure ; 
radial areolet reaching the tip of the wing. Legs dull testaceous, 
femora and tibiae brownish towards the extremity. Abdomen 
onlj' slightly compressed, pyriform ; 1st segment very short, much 
widened behind, shining, hardly striolate. Terebra short, ex- 
serted. ^ unknown. Length, J ; wings, 1| lines. 
This comes nearest to maculipes (sp. 6), but differs in 
having the radial areolet extended to the tip of the 
wing. I have taken only a single example. 
11. Aspilota curta, Marsh. 
Asp. curta, Marsh., Species des Hym. d'Eur. et 
d'Alg., Bracon., vol. ii., p. 444, ? . 
$ . Minute, short, stout, shining, rufous, with the head and 
terminal segments of the abdomen fuscous. Head very large. 
Antennae as long as the body, dull rufous, 15-jointed. Mesonotum 
without a dorsal fovea ; metathorax very short, coriaceous. Ner- 
vures and squamula testaceous ; radial areolet remote from the tip 
of the wing ; 1st cubital areolet confounded with the 2nd, and with 
the 1st discoidal. Legs stout, rufous. First abdominal segment 
short, stout, dull, coriaceous, not widened posteriorly. Terebra 
short, exserted. ^ unknown. Length, ^ ; wings, hardly 
1 line. 
This resembles Alysia castanea, Nees (Mon., i., 250), 
as well as Haliday's variety of fuscicornis (sp. 8), which 
is not described ; he says nothing of the radial areolet, 
which terminates at an appreciable distance from the tip 
of the wing ; the colour is of secondary importance, as it 
may be due simply to immaturity ; the insect differs from 
the true fuscicornis in many small particulars. I have 
taken only one specimen. 
British Braconidx. 
6^0 
12. Asjnlota distracta, Nees. ' 
Alysia distracta, Nees, Mon., i., 255 ; Hal., Ent. Ma,g., 
v., 247, c??. 
Bassus concolor, Nees, Mag. Ges. Bei^l., vi., 213. 
Alysia concolor, Nees, Mon., i., 254; Hal., Ent. Mag., 
v., 247, S ? . 
Asp. distracta, Marsh., Species des Hym. d'Ear. et 
d'Alg., Bracoii., vol. ii., p. 445, S ? . 
$ . Black or piceous ; sometimes with the 1st abdominal seg- 
ment rufous ; smooth, shining, mandibles and palpi rufescent. 
Antennte shorter than the body, 13-1 8- jointed. Fovea of the 
mesonotum punctiform or obsolete ; furrow of the mesopleuraj 
crenulate, or indicated by a row of punctures ; metathorax more or 
less rugulose, smooth on the sides. Wings hyaline ; squamula and 
nervures brownish testaceous ; 1st cubital areolet confounded with 
the 2nd, and with the 1st discoidal ; 3rd abscissa straight, or with a 
scarcely perceptible curve ; radial areolet reaching the tip of the 
wing. Legs either rufous, or fuscous with the tips of the trochan- 
ters and base of the tibia; rufous. Abdomen strongly compressed; 
1st segment almost linear, hardly striolate. Terebra shorter than 
the abdomen. ^ Similar ; antenuEe much longer than the body, 
21-23-jointed. Length, §-li; wings, 1^-2^ lines. 
Vak. ^ . Antenna; 23-jointed ; nervures fuscous, distinct ; 2nd 
cubital areolet much contracted towards the outer end ; 1st cubital 
areolet separated from the 1st discoidal; 1st aljscissa very oblique, 
forming part of the same curve as the 2nd, with hardly any dis- 
tinct angle ; the 2nd angle of the radial nervure is also very obtuse 
Length, § line. Probably a different species. 
I possess 1 ? , 5 c?s answering the descriptions of 
Nees and Haliday : only one c? attains the larger size 
given above ; the others are smaller, like those described 
by Nees. I cannot find any difference between distracta 
and concolor, except the colour of the legs. Haliday 
gives with distracta a var. jS having the colours of curta 
(sp. 11), and not unlikely to be the same; yet the 
difference of the wings is a serious objection, see 
Haliday's plate (Ent. Mag., v., pi. xvii., fig. 26), in which 
the radial areolet of one of these insects reaches the tip 
of the wing. I suspect the present species of being 
merely factitious ; if we had more knowledge, it would 
386 Rev. T. A. MarslialPs Monograph of 
probably resolve itself into one or more of those above 
described^ some of whicb are themselves uncertain. 
Alysia hrevicornis , Nees (Mon., i., 249), belongs to 
Aspilota, but cannot now be identified ; the characters 
assigned to it are merely generic. 
XXV. DACNUSIDES. 
Setting aside a few aberrant genera, these insects 
differ very little from the Alysiides, of which they are 
the inferior forms, possessing only two cubital areolets. 
This character, however, is obvious and admits of precise 
definition. In many of the preceding tribe the cubital 
areolets appear confounded, but this is through the 
absence of colouring matter in the dividing nervures, 
which may always be traced, at least ideally. In 
Dacnusa and its affinities this is not the case : the radial 
nervure shows only two abscissas, i.e., after passing the 
first abscissa, it is directed in an unbroken curve to the 
tip of the wing, forming no second angle. The radial 
areolet is lanceolate, seldom cultriform {Liposcia), and 
mostly too short to reach the tip of the wing ; stigma 
variable, oval more or less lanceolate, Hnear and at- 
tenuated in different degrees, or lastly obsolete, being 
confounded with the metacarp {Gyrocampa) ; 1st cubital 
areolet separated from the 1st discoidal, except in 
Dacnusa aphanta ; cubital and anal nervures more or 
less effaced towards the extremity. Abdomen usually 
subsessile, rarely as broad at the base as the metathorax 
(Polemon) ; often compressed in the ? {Ghainon, 
Ccelinius, Polemon) ; 1st segment rugulose or striolate, 
the rest generally smooth, but sometimes with a 
little rugosity on the 2nd segment ; rarely with more 
of the segments rugulose [G^none, roUmon). Terebra 
very short or concealed; rarely as long as half the 
abdomen. 
There are no apterous females, if the Chpenon apterus, 
Curtis, be rightly considered as a synonym of Chasmodon 
{Alysiides, Gen. i., ante). At the same time it must be 
observed that, in defiiult of wings, Chasmodon might 
with equal propriety be referred to the present tribe. 
The Dacnusides have naturally the same habits as the 
Alysiides, being parasites of Diptera ; observations have 
shown that even the minute flies whose larvae live in the 
British Braconidre. 
387 
parencliyma of leaves, are not exempt from their 
attacks. 
Table of Genera. 
(2) 1. Postscutellum armed with a dentiform spine ; 
tliree first abdominal segments very broad, 
rugose, forming a carapace like that of 
Sigalphus, beneatb which the following seg- 
ments are whoUy or in great part retracted ; 
general form robust ... ... ... ... i. CEnone. 
Postscutellum unarmed ; abdominal segments 
normally disposed, smooth, except the first, 
or sometimes the two first. 
First abdominal segment broader than long ; 
2nd suture in form of a finely impressed 
curved line; body robust, as in (Eiione ... ii. EPIMICTA. 
First abdominal segment longer than broad ; 
2nd suture straight, nearly or quite eifaced ; 
form of Alysia, not remarkably robust. 
Body neither linear nor very elongate ; abdo- 
men oblong-oval or suborbicular, not or 
scarcely longer than the head and thorax. 
Stigma elongate, linear, consisting of an empty 
membranous sack, having a drop or spot of 
colouring matter only at the base, otherwise 
decolorous ; radial areolet ample, subcultri- 
form, almost reaching the tip of the wing ... iii. LiPOSClA. 
(0) 7. Stigma of varioms form, filled up with colour- 
ing matter, sometimes obsolete and con- 
founded with the metacarp; radial areolet 
much smaller, lanceolate, remote from the tip 
of the wing. 
(9) 8. Second abscissa of the radial nervure describ- 
ing an irregular curve, usually sinuated or 
concave on the under side, and always some- 
what straightened towards the tip, whereby 
the radial areolet becomes more or less 
acuminate ... . . ... ... it. Dacnusa. 
(8) 9. Second abscissa describing a regular parabolic 
arc, neither sinuated beneath, nor straight- 
ened towards the tip. 
Eyes naked ; thorax smooth ; stigma very long, 
linear, attenuated v. Gyrocampa. 
Eyes hairy ; thorax punctulate ; stigma less 
elongate, or sometimes short, oval-lanceolate. 
Stigma less elongate than in Gyrocampa, 
emitting the radial nervure before the middle ; 
labial palpi 3-jointed vi. Chorebus. 
(12) 1:5. Stigma, short, oval-lanceolate, emitting the 
radial nervure from its middle ; labial palpi 4- 
.iointed vii. Cn.ENUSA. 
Body linear, elongate ; abdomen longer than 
the head and thoi-ax. 
Second abscissa describing a regular curve, 
not sinuated viii. CcELlNlUS. 
Second abscissa sensibly sinuated before the 
cxti-emity. 
Abdomen subsessile, 1st segment much nar- 
rower tlian the metathorax ; abdomen of the 
$ strongly compressed, like the blade of an 
oar, from the base of the 3rd segment ... ix. Ch^ENON. 
(17) 18. Abdomen sessile, 1st segment almost as broad 
as the metathorax ; abdomen of the $ feebly 
compressed, at the apex only s. Polemon. 
388 Rev. T. A. MarshalVs Monograph of 
The two first genei'a are distinct and natural^ although 
Ejpimicta contains only a single species ; the eight 
following are more ai-tificial^ but as they seem likely to 
facilitate the determination of species^ I have allowed them 
to remain. They may be distributed into three natural 
groups; 1. Dacnusa (G. iii., iv.) ; 2. Gyrocampa (G. v., 
vi., vii.) ; and 8. CceUnius (G. viii., ix., x.). Gyrocampa, 
Chorehus, and Chmiusa are very closely allied both in 
form and habits ; Ghmnon and Goelinius are in all essen- 
tial particulars the same, and may be optionally regarded 
as synonyms, which indeed they originally were. 
Forster has much increased the number of generic 
names by commencing the dismemberment of the great 
genus Dacnusa, but he has left untouched the majority 
of the species. 
i. CEnone, Haliclay. 
Hal., Hym. Brit., ii., 3 (1839). 
Head broad, transverse ; front very short ; eyes naked; clypeus 
somewhat semicircuhir, or obtusely triangular ; mandibles quad- 
ridentate, the 2nd tooth the longest, the 4th the smallest ; maxil- 
lary palpi 6-, labial 4-jointed. Postscutellum armed with a denti- 
form spine. Stigma oval-lanceolate, more or less short, emitting 
the radial nervure from the middle, or from just before the 
middle ; radial areolet lanceolate, remote from the tip of the wing ; 
recurrent nervure slightly rejected. Abdomen subsessile, oval, as 
broad as the thorax, entirely or in great part covered with longitu- 
dinal strife ; segments 2-3 indiscrete, forming with the 1st a sort 
of carapace which conceals all the following segments, or these if 
visible are extremely short ; belly concave ; terebra concealed. 
The length of the antennae is the readiest means of distinguishing 
the sexes. 
Nees von Esenbeck was acquainted with two species, 
which he formed into a section of Sigalphus; their 
resemblance to that genus is very striking, but the 
structure of the mandibles shows them to belong to the 
Exodontes. Furster changed the name (jPuovie to Sym- 
phya, but without stating his reasons for so doing ; 
CEnone occui'S as a specific name in Lepidoptera, but I 
cannot find any instance of a genus so called. Dahlbom, 
in his Monograph of G/ielouus (Sv. Ak. Handl., 1833, 
p. 159), described a species pullatus, having only two 
British Braconidx. 389 
cubital areolets, and which therefore seemSj at first sight, 
to belong to the present genus, but the figure of the 
wing given by the same author shows that this can 
hardly be correct, and the insect remains to be redis- 
covered by the Swedish entomologists. The habits of 
the species of Q^none are unknown ; I have generally 
obtained them by beating trees, especially oaks and 
willows. 
Table of Species. 
(2) 1. Abdominal carapace smooth after the 2ud seg- 
ment; posterior segments exserted, very short 1. hians, Noes. 
(1) 2. Abdominiil carapace wholly striolate; pos- 
terior segments retracted. 
(4) 3. Antennaj 27-29-jointed ; scntellum coarsely 
rugose, dull ; stigma short, emitting the 
radial nervure from its middle 2. ma?idi&w/ari's, Nees. 
(3) 4. Antennaa 36-3S-joiuted ; scutellum punctate, 
rather shining ; stigma longer, emitting 
the radial uervurc before the middle ... 3. ringcns, Kal. 
1, Q^none hians, Nees. 
Sigalphus hians, Nees, Mag. Ges. Berl., 181G, p. 253 ; 
Mon., i., 273, $ ? . 
GE. hians, Hal., Hym. Brit., ii., 4 ; Marsh., Species des 
Hym.d'Bur.et d'Alg., Bracon., vol. ii., p. 452, 6 ? . 
$ . Black, thinly covered with pale pubescence. Head smooth, 
shining ; face punctulate, somewhat dull, pubescent ; mandibles 
dark brown ; clypeus nearly black ; palpi testaceous. Antennce 
setiform, scarcely as long as the body, 34-3.3-jointed. Mesonotum 
punctulate, trisulcate longitudinally, the furrows punctate, the 
median anteriorly effaced, the two lateral converging towards an 
angle before the scutellum ; scutellum punctulate ; postscutellum 
armed with an acute spine ; metathorax rugose, reticulate, indis- 
tinctly channeled in the middle, with two tubercles on each side at 
the extremity ; mesopleura3 smooth, with a broad rugose furrow ; 
mesosternum punctulate. Wings hyaline ; squamulaj testaceous ; 
nervures and stigma blackish ; nervures of the hindwings testa- 
ceous, effaced towards the extremity. Legs testaceous, tarsi, and 
tips of hind tibia), fuscous ; hind coxa3 sometimes blackish at the 
base. Abdomen narrowed at the base, oboval, spatulate, slightly 
convex above ; 1st segment widened behind, and with a bifurcate 
carina at the base ; 2nd finely striolate ; 3rd and following smooth ; 
the 2nd suture, which limits the striolate portion of the abdomen, 
generally effaced or nearly so ; posterior segments exserted, but 
very short. ^ Similar ; antennae rather longer than the body, 
390 Rev. T. A. Marshall's Monograj^h of 
34-35 -join ted ; abdomen narrower, subconical towards the apex ; 
posterior segments more conspicuously exserted. Length, l|-2 ; 
wings, 3^-4 lines. 
Not uncommon; it has been taken in Germany, 
Holland, Russia, England, and Ireland. Haliday cap- 
tured his specimens in osier-beds, and mine were found 
in similar situations. 
2. Qjlnone mandihularis, Nees. 
8igalpJms mandihularis, Nees, Mag. Ges. Berl., 181 G, 
p. 254;Mon., i,, 274, ?. 
CE. mandihularis, Hal., Hyra. Brit., ii., 4, ? ; Marsh., 
Species des Hym. d'Eur. et d'Alg., Bracou., vol, ii., 
p. 453, $ ? . 
$ . Deep black, thinly covered with pale pubescence. Head 
smooth ; vertex and cheeks pubescent ; front and face rugulose, 
the latter more finely, and covered with pubescence ; mandibles 
and clypeus black ; palpi fusco-testaceous. Antenna3 widely 
separated at the base, shorter than the body, submoniliform, 
hardly attenuated at the apex, 27-29-jointed, black, with the 2nd 
joint testaceous. Mesonotum punctate-rugose, smoother at the 
sides, trisulcate, all the furrows united posteriorly ; scutellum and 
metathorax rugose, reticulate ; spine of the postscutellum blunt, 
compressed ; metathorax not carinate in the middle ; mesopleura) 
and sternum rugose ; beneath the wings on each side is a smooth 
space. "Wings infumated; squamulas brownish ; stigma and nervures 
blackish ; the former oval-lanceolate, shorter than in the following 
species, emitting the radial nervure from the middle. Fore legs 
testaceous ; the middle pair dull testaceous with the femora black 
above and the apex of the tarsi blackish ; hind legs blackish, tro- 
chanters wholly or in part, together with the base of the tibiae, 
reddish ; all the coxfe black ; sometimes the legs are entirely testa- 
ceous. Abdomen occasionally brown, oboval, slightly convex, 
rather deeply striate and beset with whitish hairs on the first three 
segments, which conceal all the following ; 1st segment short, 
ascending ; 2nd suture effaced. ^ Similar ; antennae longer than 
the body, 29-jointed. Length, l^lf ; wings, 3-4^ lines. 
Taken in Germany, England, and Ireland. My speci - 
mens were beaten out of oak trees. 
British Braconida?. 391 
3. CEnone ring ens, Hal. 
(E. ringens, Hal., Hym. Brit., ii., 4, ? ; Marsh., Species 
des Hym. d'Eur. et d'Alg., Bracon., vol. ii., 
p. 454, $ ? . 
Resembles hians, from which it may be distinguished in few 
words. Palpi obscure. Antenna; $ $ , 36-38-jointed. Mesono- 
tum more coarsely punctured, the medial furrow dilated anteriorly 
instead of being effaced ; spine of the postscutellum shorter and 
stouter ; scutellum punctate, somewhat shining. Wings inf umated ; 
squamula; brownish ; stigma and nervures blackish ; the former is 
longer than in the two other species, emitting the radial nervure 
before the middle ; nervures of the hindwings blackish. Legs dull 
rufous ; coxse, base of trochanters, tarsi, and tips of hind tibias, 
blackish. The stria?, on the carapace are fine like those of hians, 
and continued to the extremity like those of mandihularis ; 4th 
and following segments concealed. Length, 2 ; wings, Sg-l lines. 
Rare in Ireland, according to Haliday ; in England it 
is commoner tliau the other species, and I have fre- 
quently found it on willows. 
ii. Epimicta, Forster. 
Forst., Verh. Pr. Kheinl., 1 862, p. 274. 
Body robust, convex, in great part smooth. Head and its 
appendages as in CEnone. Meso thoracic furrows deeply impressed, 
complete, crenulate ; an impressed line starting from the anterior 
margin, between the two furrows, becomes dilated before the 
scutellum into an oval crenate fovea ; postscutellum unarmed ; 
furrow of the mesopleuraj broad, punctate-rugose, like the rest of 
the pleura; ; mesosternum smooth ; metathorax very short, rugose. 
Stigma linear-lanceolate, emitting the radial nervure just before the 
middle ; radial areolet lanceolate, acuminate, not reaching the tip 
of the wing ; radial nervure almost insensibly sinuated near the 
extremity. Abdomen oval, convex, as wide as the thorax and a 
little longer, showing 7 segments above in the (^, 6 in the $ , 
the 2nd and 3rd united by coalescence, not reaching the middle 
of the abdomen ; 1st very short, transverse, ascending, rugose ; 2nd 
minutely striolate, often almost smooth ; 2nd suture scarcely 
visible ; 3rd and following segments smooth ; 4th a little longer 
than the 3rd ; 5th as long as the 4th ; Gth somewhat shorter and 
diminishing in breadth ; 7th hardly exserted in the ^ , concealed in 
the $ . Terebra concealed. 
392 Rev. T. A. MarshalPs Monograph of 
This genusj hitherto undescribed as such, was 
originally joined to (Enone by Curtis ; it differs, however, 
widely in the conformation of the abdomen. Haliday 
placed it at the head of his genus Dacnusa, but in a 
separate section ; although most of the technical details 
in Epimicta and Dacnusa are similar, yet the important 
characters of the abdomen, together with the very 
different facies caused by the stout form and robustness 
of the body, sufficiently distinguish the former genus. 
In Forster's table it is stated that the second abdominal 
segment is marked with a transverse furrow ; this is 
derived from Haliday, who often speaks of segments 
2-3 (soldered together in the Braconidge) as the second 
segment ; the expression is not quite correct, as in the 
present instance, where the transverse furrow in 
question is nothing else than the second suture. There 
is only one known species, which cannot be confounded 
with any other of the Dacnusidai. 
1. Epimicta marginalU, Hal. 
Dacnusa marginalis, Hal., Hym. Brit., ii., 6, ^ ? . 
E. marginalis, Marsh., Species des Hym. d'Eur. et 
d'Alg., Bracon., vol. ii., p. 456, $ ? . 
$ . Black, with the apex of the abdomen rufous or testaceous, 
the posterior segments narrowly bordered with the same colour. 
Vertex very short : face indistinctly carinate, punctulate ; clypeus, 
mandibles, and palpi testaceous. AntennEe a little longer than the 
body, submoniliform, brownish or reddish testaceous, 37-38- 
jointed . Wings slightly inf umated ; squamulas, stigma, and 
nervures brownish, sometimes very pale ; recurrent nervure 
hardly rejected. Legs testaceous ; base of the hind coxae, tarsi of 
the same pair, and tips of the other tarsi, fuscous. Abdomen 
beset with whitish hairs ; segments 3-5 margined with testaceous ; 
6th testaceous with an obscure dorsal patch ; belly concave, testa- 
ceous. Valves of the terebra incrassated, concealed. $ Similar ; 
6th segment without an obscure patch ; 7th exserted, testaceous. 
Length, 2 ; wings, 4 lines. 
Rare in England, and not yet noticed in any other 
country. I have taken three specimens, in Leicester- 
shire, Wiltshire, and Cornwall. 
British Braconiihv. 393 
iii. LiPOSCiA, Forster. 
Forst, Verb. Fr. Rheinl., 1862, p. 270. 
Form and characters of Dacnusa, except as to the wings. Head 
transverse ; maxillary palpi 6-, labial 4-jointed. Mesothoracic 
furrows complete, but faintly traced, with an additional medial 
channel ; metathorax short, pubescent. Wings narrow from the 
base as far as the stigma, enlarged and rounded posteriorly ; basal 
areolets very short ; radial ample, cultriform, reaching the tip of 
the wing ; 2nd abscissa not exactly straight ; stigma linear-lanceo- 
late, as long as two -thirds of the radial areolet, confounded at the 
extremity with tlio metacarp ; it resembles an elongate bladder, 
pale and empty, except a small oval mass of colouring matter 
collected at the base ; recurrent nervure rejected ; radial and anal 
nervures faintly traced ; uervures of the hindwings nearly effaced. 
I possess only the $ , which has the abdomen oval, somewhat 
depressed, broader than the thorax ; 1st segment narrow, linear, 
twice as long as its width, with distinct spiracular tubercles. The 
singularity of the stigma is not accidental, as one would be inclined 
to suppose ; Forster states that all his specimens, of both sexes, 
were similar in this respect. 
1 . Liposcia discolor (Forst.), Marsh. 
L. discolor, Marsh., Species des Hym. d'Eur. et d'Alg., 
Bracon., vol. ii., p. 457, $. 
(J Black ; abdomen piceous after the 1st segment ; 2nd segment 
rather lighter than the following. Head smooth, shining ; man - 
dibles quadridentate with very small equal teeth, testaceous ; palfji 
testaceous. Antennai slender, much longer than the body, blackish 
with the scape piceous, filiform, composed of 28 cylindrical joints ; 
1st joint elongate, the terminal joint longer than broad. Middle 
lobe of the mesonotum very shining, the two lateral somewhat 
dull; scutellum, metathorax, and 1st abdominal segment beset with 
whitish hairs ; metathorax dull, coriaceous, without a medial 
carina. Wings hyaline ; squamulas testaceous ; radial, iutercubital, 
and cubital nervures pale, indistinct ; anal nervure effaced ; ner- 
vures of the basal portion of the wing brown, together with the 
coloured spot of the stigma, the empty part of which is pale 
yellowish. Legs testaceous ; tarsi fuscous at the apex. First 
abdominal segment striolate, the rest smooth and glabrous ; 2nd 
suture almost effaced ; segments 2-3 together shorter than all the 
following ; 4th as long as the 3rd, the rest progressively decreasing 
in length to the extremity. Length, 1 ; wings, 2^ lines. 
I captured a single specimen last year in Cornwall. 
394 Rev. T. A. Marshall's Monograph of 
iv. DacndsAj Holiday, 
Hal., Hym. Brit., ii., 5 (1839). 
Body short or moderately elongate ; general form like that of 
the Alysiids, especially of the genus Addura. Head transverse, 
rarely as long as it is broad {D. g'dvipes) ; mandibles quadridentate ; 
maxillary palpi G-, labial 4-iointed. Antennae generally setaceous, 
multiarticulate, as long as the body or longer, often more than 
twice as long ; short and pauciarticulate in the $ of D. ami^liator. 
Mesothoracic furrows usually incomplete, or hardly inchoate ; 
between them is a medial channel more or less distinct and of 
variable length, ending in a fovea before the scutellum ; meta- 
thorax short, rugulose, often imperfectly carinate at the base. 
Stigma elongate, linear, of variable thickness, emitting the radial 
nervure before the middle; 1st abscissa distinct, but exceptionally 
cut off by the stigma in D. adducta ; radial areolet semi- oval, 
lanceolate, acuminate ; radial nervure forming an irregular curve, 
sinuated near the middle, and straightened towards the extremity, 
the sinuation is sometimes barely visible (-D. semlrugosu, etc.), the 
straightening is constantly present ; recurrent nervure in most 
cases rejected, i.e., pointing to the lower angle of the 1st cubital 
areolet ; but in D, abdita, and two or three more species it is 
interstitial, i.e., pointing to the lower interior angle of the 2nd. 
Abdomen subsessile, rarely subpetiolate, oblong-oval or suborbi- 
culate, sometimes spatulate, not or hardly longer than the head 
and thorax ; all the segments smooth except the 1st, and rarely the 
2nd {D. semirugosa, etc.) ; 1st segment longer than broad ; seg- 
ments 2-3 united by coalition, and longer than all the following 
taken together. Terebra short, almost concealed, rarely somewhat 
exserted (D. areolaris), or even as long as | or f of the abdomen 
(D. clandestina and stramineipes). 
This genus is numerous in species, but tliey have been 
so neglected by hymenopterists that any attempt to give 
an account of them must necessarily be unsatisfactory. 
The earliest notice of them was published by Nees von 
Esenbeck in the "Berliner Magazin^' for 1814: he 
described three or four species under the generic name 
o{ Bassus. These he afterwards, in his Monograph (1834), 
transferred to the genus Ahjsia, as a 5th section, with 
additions, raising the number to 12, not all of which can 
now be recognized. The only other publication of value 
on the subject of these insects is Haliday's tract dated 
1839, under the title " Hymenoptera Britannica : Alysia, 
British Braconidse. 395 
Fasciculus alter/^ wliicli is now difficult to procure. It 
contains 21 species belonging to our Fauna^ and must 
form the groundwork of any future treatises on the 
subject. Haliday^s labours were succeeded by a blank 
period of fifty-five years^ during which only five 
scattered notices of Dacnusa appeared, these occur in 
the works of Ratzebui-g, Goureau, and Vollenhoven, but 
four of them are insufficient for specific determinations. 
My own observations, however desultory and imperfect, 
have succeeded in increasing the number of known 
species to about 40, several of which are not indigenous ; 
it would not be difficult, with more time, greatly to 
augment this number. My captures on the continent 
have been very few, and boxes of Braconidge received 
from correspondents hardly ever contain a Dacnusa, or 
if any occur, they are usually unset, and their examina- 
tion and description consequently impracticable, except 
in a few cases. It is merely a waste of time to collect 
specimens of this sort without displaying the wings, 
etc. — they are too small and too stubborn to be relaxed, 
and can only be rejected as useless. 
Forster's Synopsis contains 14 so-called genera, cutting 
off as many species of Dacnusa, and the same process 
might have been applied to the rest, so as totally to 
disintegrate the genus. I have not adopted these 
divisions, which only multiply difficulties, for it is easier 
to identify an insect directly by its specific diagnosis 
than to trace it through an artificial genus resting on 
the same characters, and often only obscurely indi- 
cated. 
Following out the plan of these papers, I have 
endeavoured to tabulate the species, but the task is so 
difficult as to border upon the impossible. The following 
attempt therefore will not, perhaps, stand much criticism, 
yet it may give some slight assistance in the investigation 
of many species. 
Table of Species. 
(2) 1. First cubital areolet contiguous to tlie stigma 
wliich cuts off the Ist abscissa ... ... 1. acZtZMc/a, Hal. 
(1) 2. First cubital areolet separated from the 
stigma by the 1st abscissa. 
(52) 3. Kecurrent nervure pointing to the lower 
angle of the 1st cubital areolet. 
(11) 4. Second abdominal segment rugulose or acicu- 
late, sometimes only at the extreme base 
(talaris) ; exceptionally smooth in a variety 
of that species. 
396 Rev. T. A. Marshall's Monograph of 
(0) 5. Abdomeu rufous with the 1st segment black- 
ish and the 2nd pieeous ; radial areolet 
almost reaching the tip of the wing ... 2. plarnicura, IJa}. 
(5) G. Abdomen entirely black ; radial areolet remote 
from the tip of the wing. 
(8) 7. Radial nervure slightly simaated befoi-e the 
extremity 3. talaris, Hal. 
(7) 8. Radial nervure forming a regular parabolic 
curve, not sinuated. 
(10) 9. Metathorax carinated ; antenna) about 36- 
joiuted ; 2nd discoidal areolet imperfectly 
closed on the outer side ; length, 2 lines ... 4. semirngosa, Ulal. 
(9) 10. Metathorax not carinated ; antenuo2 28- 
jointed ; 2ud discoidal areolet completely 
closed; length, 1| lines 5. striaiula , Hid. 
(4) 11. Second abdominal segment entirely smooth, 
like all the following. 
(15) 12. Legs black, with only the knees, the tarsi, 
and the fore tibia; more or less testaceous 
or brownish. 
(14) 13. Anteimaj longer than the body, 25-joiuted 
in the ? , 31-jointed in the $ ; stigma 
elongate, rather stout, acuminate at the 
outer end, black like the nervures ; radial 
areolet longer than the prffibrachial ; 
radial nervure very faintly sinuated ... 6. frisit.s-, Nees. 
(13) 14. Antenna; of the ? not longer than the head 
and thorax, 15-17-jointed, those of the $ 
almost as long as the body, 21-jointed; 
stigma short, stout, obtuse at both ends, 
testaceous or pale brown like the nervures ; 
radial areolet not longer than the preebra- 
chial ; radial nervure sinuated ... ... 7. ampliator, "Neea. 
(12) 15. Legs entirely testaceous, or at most the hind 
femora partly black, and the 4 anterior 
sometimes streaked with black. 
(19) 16. Large species, about 2r, lines long ; antenna) 
36-49-jointed. 
(18) 17- Abdomen spatulate, 1st segment linear, about 
3 times as long as the hind coxeb ; antennse 
44-49-jointed ; the largest species 8 petiolata, "Nees. 
(17) 18. Abdomen oblong, 1st segment linear, about 
twice as long as the hind coxae ; antenna) 
36-iointed. 9. egregia, Marsh. 
(16) 19. Smaller species ; antenna) of the 9 usually 21- 
35-jointed, but 40-jointed in lateralis and 
42-jointed in cincta; those of the $ 21-37- 
jointed, but 40-jointed in senilis, and 43- 
iointcd in lateralis. 
(23) 20. S<;igma thicker than the length of the 1st 
abscissa. 
(22) 21. Stigma dark ferruginous, more than 4 times 
as long as broad ; recurrent nervure hardly 
rejected ; 2nd discoidal areolet oblong ... 10. temula, Tia.]. 
(21) 22. Stigma blackish, scarcely 3 times as long as 
broad; recurrent nervure sensibly rejected ; 
2nd discoidal areolet short, quadrate ... 11. marrospila, JIa\. 
(20) 23. Stigma not so thick as the length of tlie 1st 
abscissa. 
(25) 24. Metathorax and 1st abdominal segment 
covered with dense pubescence, concealing 
the scvdptxire of the surface ; hind femora 
blackish, or streaked with blackish on the 
upper edge 12. senilis, 'Neee. 
British Braconidx. 397 
(2i) 25. Tlio pubesecnco not so douse as to conceal 
the surface, or this latter almost bare ; hind 
femora entirely pale, or at most with a 
taint streak on the upper edge. 
(27) 26. Length about s line ; the smallest species ... 13. misella, Maxsh. 
(20) 27. Length much more than ^ line. 
(29) 28. Radial areolet shorter than the praebrachial 14. alhlpes, Hal. 
(28) 29. Radial areolet equalling or exceeding the 
prsebracliial in length. 
(45) .30. Furrow of the mesopleur£e rugose or punctate. 
(34) 31. Antennce 37-43-jointed. 
(33) 32. Autonnaj one-half longer than the body ; 
radial nervure distinctly sinuated ; 1st 
abdominal segment 3 times as long as 
broad ... 15. lateralis, Ilal. 
(32) 33. AntennfB very little longer than the body; 
radial nervure hardly sinuated ; 1st abdomi- 
nal segment twice as long as broad ... 16. cincta, Hall. 
(31) 34. Antennaj 25-33-iointed. 
(38) 35. Abdomen short, as broad as the thorax, de- 
pressed in the $ , convex in the $ , and not 
compressed posteriorly (but the $ oi lepida 
is unknown). 
(37) 30. Legs elongate, whitish-yellow, as well as the 
squamuhe ; wings ample, obtusely subtrun- 
cate at the extremity 17. lep-i da, Mavsh. 
(36) 37. Legs not unusually long, dingy testaceous, as 
well as the squamulce ; wings not remark- 
ably broad and long, regularly rounded at 
the extremity ... .. ... 18. oawi is. Marsh. 
(35) 38. Abdomen linear, not so broad as the thorax, 
compressed posteriorly in the J . 
(40) 39. Squamula) black 19. leptogaster, B.!d. 
(39) 40. Squamulffi rufescent or flavescent. 
(42) 41. Abdomen testaceous with the 1st segment 
black 20. postica, Hal. 
(41) 42. Abdomen black with the 2nd segment testa- 
ceous. 
(44) 43. Head subcubic, as broad as long, not dilated 
behind the eyes ; stigma and nervures pale 
yellowish 21. diremta, Hal. 
(43) 44. Head transverse, dilated behind the eyes ; 
stigma and nervures dark brown 22. gracilis, 'Noes. 
(30) 45. Furrow of the mesopleurse smooth or obso- 
lete. 
(47) 46. First cubital areolet confounded with the 
1st discoidal ... _ 23. aphanta, Marsh. 
(46) 47. First cubital areolet discrete. 
(49) 48. Radial ai-eolet approximating the tip of the 
wing ; stigma very elongate, linear, atten- 
uated ... ,.. .. 2i. siramineipes, Hal. 
(48) 49. Radial areolet remote from the tip of the 
wing ; stigma linear, attenuated, but less 
elongated. 
(51) 50. Stigma elongate, emitting the radial nervure 
not far fi-om its base, which is the slender- 
est part ; abdomen blackish or piceous ; 
terebra.short, exsorted ... 25. areolaris, Nees. 
(50) 51. Stigma somewhat shorter, emitting the radial 
nervure at less than one-fourth of its length, 
and dilated at the anastomosis ; abdomen 
blackish, the segments cinctm-ed with pale 
testaceous ; terebra as long as half the 
abdomen 26. clandestina, Hal. 
TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1895. — PART III. (SEPT.) 26 
398 liev. T. A. Marshall's Monograph of Brit. Braconidod. 
(3) 52. Recui-rent iiervure pointing to tlie lower in- 
terior angle of the 2nd cubital ai-eolet. 
(54) 53. Stigma as long as the proabrachial areolet ; 
radial uervure inttexed in the middle, 
almost forming an obtuse angle, and indi- 
cating the 2nd and 3rd abscissas, of which 
the 3rd is straight, and ends on the meta- 
carp in an acute angle, remote from the 
tip of the wing 27. c/rjitiie^ria'. Marsh. 
(53) 54. Stigma much longer than the prtebrachial 
areolet ; radial nervnre slightly sinuated in 
the middle, but not showing the structure 
of sp. 27. 
(56) 55. Furrow of the mosopleurae obsolete 28. abdito, Hal. 
(55) 56. Furrow of the mesopleurse visible, creuulate 29. gilvipes, Hal. 
{To he continued.) 
Explanation op Plate VII. 
ALYSIID^. 
Fig. 1. Wing of Adelura florimela, Hal. 
2. Adelura dictynna, Marsh. 
3. Wing of Adelura apii, Curtis. 
4. „ „ Anisocyrta perdita, Hal. 
5. „ „ Prosapha speculum, Hal., ^. 
G. „ „ „ venusta, Hal., $ . 
7. „ ,, Mesocrina venatrlx, Marsh. 
8. „ „ Orthosttgma pum'da, Nees. 
y. „ „ Aspilota nervosa, Hal. 
DACNUSIDtE. 
10. (Enone hians, Hal., <^. 
11. Wing of Liposcia discolor, Fiirst. 
12. Dacnusa adducta, Hal., $ . 
( 399 ) 
XIV. Further Notes on the Secretion of Potassium 
Hydroxide hy Dicranura vinula (imago), and similar 
Phenomena in other Lepidoptera. By Oswald H. 
Latter, M.A., Assistant Master at Charterhouse, 
formerly Tutor of Keble College. 
[Read March 20th, 1895.] 
Plates VIII. and IX. 
In my previous communication on this subject (Trans. 
Ent. Soc. Lond., 1892, Part IV., pp. 287-292) a few 
points were left in doubt. Some of these I have been 
able to clear up, and at the same time I have proved 
that an alkaline fluid is produced from the mouth by 
imagines of other species at the time of their emergence 
from the cocoon. By the kind aid of my former 
colleague, the late Kev. S. D. Titmas, I have been able 
to make a quantitative analysis of the secretion produced 
by D. vinula. 
I will deal with this species first and then proceed to 
the others, which I have not been able to investigate 
so fully. 
(i.) The cocoon of D. vinula. 
I am disposed to think that the difficulty experienced 
by the moth in escaping from the cocoon has been 
rather over-estimated. If a cocoon is examined from 
the innerside, while held towards the light, it will at 
once be seen that the walls are not of uniform thickness, 
but that thinner patches occur here and there. I 
examined over a hundred cocoons in this way, and 
invariably found one of these thinner areas at the 
anterior end opposite the head of the pupa. Such an 
arrangement obviously must lessen the labour of the 
imago at emergence. 
(ii.) The removal of the j^upal " shield " hy the imago. 
In my former paper I was unable to speak definitely 
of the manner in which the imago frees its head from 
TRANS. ENT, SOC. LOND. 1895. — PART IIL (SEPT.) 
400 Mr. 0. H. Latter on the secretion of 
the shield. My friend, Mr. Archer Vassall, informed 
me, shortly after the publication of that paper, that he 
had observed the imago remove the shield by means of 
its front pair of legs. I have now myself repeatedly 
seen that this is the normal process. Almost as soon 
as the imago is free of the cocoon it halts for an 
instant, and raises its front pair of legs over its head, 
crossing the two tarsi dorsally to the shield; it then 
makes a rapid forward and downward stroke with the 
two legs simultaneously, and pulls the shield away, 
leaving it on the ground, 
(iii.) Mode of attacking the cocoon. 
In collecting the secretion for quantitative analysis, 
I was enabled to observe more fully the exact behaviour 
of the emerging imago. The pupse were enclosed in 
glass tubes (to be more particularly described below) 
and were thus easily watched. The first violent 
struggles of the imago liberate its anterior regions from 
the pupa case, this latter is then thrust back a little 
until its posterior extremity rests against some solid 
resisting surface, which would in nature be formed by 
the posterior end of the cocoon. A series of peristaltic 
contractions then sweep over the abdomen of the imago 
from behind forwards, urging the head forward against 
the anterior end of the chamber until the pressure 
becomes considerable. Between each peristaltic move- 
ment the body slips backward a little by the partial 
telescoping of the abdominal segments. These move- 
ments constitute the strokes made by the labral prongs 
against the cocoon wall, and, at the same time, the 
muscidar contractions compress the contents of the 
body and expel drops of potassium hydroxide from the 
mouth. If, after the imago has emerged, the action 
be imitated by gentle pressure between the fingers, 
more of the fluid can generally be driven out. 
(iv.) Quantitative analysis of the potassium hydroxide 
solution. 
The investigation of the strength of the solution 
proved difficult, and was attended by many failures. The 
following is the method which I found most satisfactory. 
Potassium ILjdroxide by Dicrannra vimila. 401 
A large number of pupae, due to emerge in about a 
fortnight's time, were placed in a corresponding number 
of glass tubes. The head of each pupa was placed so 
as to be in gentle contact with the closed end of the tube, 
while the remainder of the pupa was loosely wi'apt in 
cotton wool to prevent violent movement, and also to 
absorb any excrement that might trickle downwards. 
Behind the pupa was placed a firm plug of cotton wool, 
in order to give it a solid object against which to thrust 
the discarded pupa case. 
The tubes were arranged in rows on a board, which 
was slightly tilted, in order that the potassium hydroxide 
might flow down into the angle of the tube below the 
pupa head. 
By careful watching, as the time of emergence drew 
near, I was able to collect a measurable quantity of the 
fluid from the tubes, and by instantly removing the 
moths and placing a pipette to their mouths a further 
quantity was obtained. Many tubes had to be rejected 
in consequence of fouling by excrement, in order that 
the fluid analysed might be absolutely pure. As the 
liquid was obtained it was placed in a small tube, pre- 
viously carefully washed and dried, this was stoppered 
and kept in a corked bottle containing a little water, 
in order to prevent concentration by evaporation. 
These precautions were necessary, as the period of 
emergence spread out over more than four weeks. 
The amounts obtained were dealt with in two lots, one 
lot amounted to 0'6 c.c, the other to 04 c.c. I did not 
count how many moths had contributed, for I was 
never able to obtain all the secretion of any one 
individual, and the computation would therefore be 
worthless. 
The results of analysis {vide foot-note*) gave in the one 
instance 1*47 grammes, and in the other r40 grammes 
of potassium hydroxide in every 100 c.c. of the secreted 
liquid. 
■■■ The method adopted was as follows : — The volume of secreted 
liquid was ascertained by scratching a mark ou the tube at the 
surface of the liquid, and subsequently filling the tube up to the 
mark with water from a Geissler's burette, graduated to y^th c.c, 
and provided with au Erdniann's float. The secretion was carefully 
washed out into a small beaker with distilled water, and the 
whole then faintly coloured with methyl-orange to ser---e as 
402 Mr. 0. H. Latter on the secretion of 
(v.) The origin of the 'potassium secretion. 
It will be best to trace the developmental changes 
which occur in the alimentary canal from the first days 
of pupal life up to the emergence of the imago, though 
the reverse order of proceeding was followed in the 
actual investigations, which extended over two summers. 
The digestive tract of a freshly formed pupa consists (Fig. 
1) of a moderately long narrow oesophagus, followed by a 
long sacculated chylific stomach (mesenteron) with 
sacculated walls and of considerable width ; this is 
succeeded by a straight narrow rectum, which is about 
half the length of the oesophagus. At the point of 
junction of the oesophagus and mesenteron there lies 
a delicate indicator. The burette was then filled with sulphuric 
acid of half -standard strength, i.e., 24'5 grammes of H, SO^ to 
1000 c.c. of water ; the dilute acid was then added drop by drop 
until the rosy-pink colour was just distinguishable. In the first 
experiment 0'6 c.c. of secretion was used : it required 0"32 c.c. of 
the dilute acid to produce the neutral condition (the second 
decimal place was estimated by the eye aided with a lens). Then 
the actual weight, x, of acid may be calculated thus — 
1000 c.c. : 0-32 c.c. : : 24-5 gr. : x gr. 
.-. X = "0078 gramme. 
and taking the combining weights of the elements concerned as 
follows, viz., Hydrogen 1, Oxygen 16, Potassium 39, Sulphur 32 
since 2 (KHO) neutralise H, SO^ 
2 (39 + 1 + 16) 2 + 32 + 64 
112 98 
i.e., 98 grammes of sulphuric acid neutralise 112 grammes of potas- 
sium hydroxide, hence the weight, y, of potassium hydroxide 
present in the secretion can be found from the following state- 
ment — 
98 : -0078 : : 112 : y. 
:. y = "0089 gramme 
.-. 0'0089 gramme of KHO were present in 0"6 c.c. of 
secreted fluid 
.-. in 100 c.c. of secreted fluid there would be 1.47 
grammes of KHO. 
In the second experiment 0'4 c.c. of secretion was taken and 
dealt with iu pr-ecisely the same way. It required 0"2 c.c. of the 
dilute acid to produce the neutral condition in this case. Arguing 
as before, this gives 0-0056 gramme of KHO present in 0*4 c.c. of 
secretion, which, expressed in percentages, is ]"40 grammes of 
potassium hydroxide in every 100 c.c. of secreted liquid. 
Potassium Hydroxide hy Bicranura vinula. 403 
dorsaily a minute diverticulum {a r), apparently- 
springing from the anterior dorsal extremity of the 
mesenteron, but resembling rather the oesophagus in 
the character of its walls. The chief changes which 
take place concern this diverticulum, and the relative 
lengths of the three main sections of the canal. The 
latter may be dismissed in a few words — the oesophagus 
remains of the same length, the mesenteron becomes 
very much shorter and slightly narrower, while the rectum 
becomes correspondingly longer, until in the freshly- 
hatched imago it is rather longer than the two other 
sections combined. Figs. 2 and 3. There take place in the 
hinder region of the rectum other changes which I 
have not followed out in detail, the most remarkable of 
which is the existence, at the time of emergence, of a 
wide short tube (Fig. o, d) opening into the body cavity 
at one end and into the posterior third of the rectum 
at the other ; this tube is full of a brownish-red thick 
fluid (nitrogenous excretion ?), and appears to serve as an 
exit for the fluids so abundantly discharged 'per anum 
immediately after emergence. After four days of 
imaginal life the tube had shortened to a mere stump 
(Fig. 3 A, d), and six days later it could not be 
recognized. 
The mesenteric diverticulum gradually increases in 
size (ft r, Figs. 2 and 3), and comes to lie in such a 
position that the only communication between the 
mesenteron and oesophagus is through its somewhat 
pointed ventral end. Eventually it assumes a pear- 
shaped appearance, with the broader end directed dor- 
sally (Fig. 3a, a r). 
At the time when the imago is ready to emerge this 
diverticulum contains a clear liquid with strongly 
alkaline reaction to red litmus paper ; by gentle pressure 
the liquid may be driven along the oesophagus and 
caused to exude from the mouth in drops. 
Now the contents of the larval mesenteron are 
intensely alkaline (as indeed is the case in every insect 
that I have examined), and it is probable that the 
digestive ferments need an alkaline medium for their 
action. Throughout pupal life the contents of the 
mesenteron continue strongly alkaline, though they 
undergo other alterations, viz., after fourteen days they 
are granular and blood-red in colour, and, as develop- 
404 Mr. 0. H. Latter on the secretion of 
ment progresses, they become less granular and more 
transparent, while the colour changes to a greenish- 
black. The pigment, however, seems to cling to the 
walls, leaving the central portions of the fluid almost 
colourless. 
It appears to me that we have here a fairly complete 
explanation of the somewhat astonishing behaviour of 
the imago in discharging an alkaline fluid. The digestive 
fluids of the larva are alkaline, their work ceases with 
the end of larval life, the walls of the mesenteron retain 
their power, and the alkaline liquid produced is retained 
and perhaps strengthened by concentration while being 
stored in the dwindled mesenteron itself and in the 
special receptacle constituted by the dorsal diverti- 
culum. 
I have not been able to analyse the alkahne liquid in 
the larval mesenteron in consequence of lack of material, 
so that the proof of the identity of the two fluids is not 
complete, though the balance of probability is in favour 
of their being one and the same. 
There can be little doubt that the secretion is 
expelled along the oesophagus by means of the pressure 
which is brought to bear upon the mesenteron and its 
diverticulum, by the violent muscular contractions of 
the bodywall at the time when the imago splits open 
and struggles out of the pupa case. 
(vi.) Alhaline secretions discharged by other species. 
I have proved, by the employment of artificial cocoons 
of red litmus paper, that the following species effect a 
softening of their hard cocoons by discharge of alkaline 
liquid from the mouth : — Dicranura bifida (abundant), 
D. furcula (abundant), Bomhyx callunx (abundant), 
B. lanestris (slight), Saturnia carpini (abundant), 
Limacodes testitdo (slight), and Halias prasinana 
(moderate quantity). I have not been able to procure 
sufficient material for analysis from any of these. 
Pupa) of the following were also experimented with, 
but no results obtained — Bndromis versicolor, Pygsera 
hucephala, Mamestra hrassicse, and Gucidlia dbsijnthli. 
As in D. vinula, so too in most of the others which 
produce alkaline liquid, there are also mechanical con- 
Potassium Hydroxide hij Bicranura vinula. 405 
trivances to aid in rupturing the cocoon where this is 
necessary. 
Both D. furcula and D. bifida emerge from the 
cocoon, wearing a '' shield " similar to that formerly 
described in D. vinula. 
D. furcula. 
The pupal "shield" is shown in Fig. 4; it is 
held securely on the head of the imago by hooks 
fitting into grooves and sockets situated just to the 
median side of each eye of the imago (Fig. 4, lih). 
In addition to these hooks, there is also a pair of small 
processes projecting inwards from the inner ventral 
corner of the pupal eye (Fig. 4, hh'). I could not 
find any definite socket for the reception of these, but 
there is on the ventral surface of each side of the head 
of the imago a triangular depressed shallow area, in 
which this pair of hooks must he while the " shield " 
is in position (Fig. ri, hh'g). After emergence the 
" shield " is removed by the tarsi of the front pair of 
legs, exactly as in D. vinula. 
The labral prongs present in D. vinula are here 
represented only by short blunt knobs (Fig. 5, I p), and 
can be of no service in piercing the cocoon. I beheve, 
however, that the maxillary palps are brought to bear 
upon the softened surface. These appendages are pro- 
vided with far fewer and shorter hairs than in D. vinula, 
and are relatively stouter and harder; their distal 
extremities are entirely devoid of hair, sharply pointed, 
and marked with transverse ridges like a miniature 
file (Fig. 6, p). The structure of these palps appears to 
vary as to the number of joints. In three specimens 
both palps were single-jointed ; in one specimen the 
right palp bore traces of three joints, but the left was 
single-jointed, while in another specimen both palps 
were distinctly three-jointed. The length of the palps is 
almost the same, viz., about O'oG mm., "whether single or 
three-jointed, and I am thus inclined to believe that 
a single-jointed condition is in process of evolution 
from the more primitive condition of three joints. 
Certainly the absence of intermediate articulations would 
render the palp a more rigid and eflBcient boring tool. 
406 Mr. 0. H. Latter 07i the secretion of 
D. bifida. 
Here the shape of the " shield " is slightly different, 
inasmuch as the posterior lateral edges of the pupal 
eyes are bent inwards, so as to partly grip the corres- 
ponding portion of the eyes of the imago. One pair 
of hooks are present on the inner face of the " shield," 
corresponding to the larger pair in D. furcula, and to 
the only pair in D. vinula. The smaller pair present 
in D./wrc^j /a here finds its homologue in a stout piece 
of chitin, which forms a low ridge merely. From the tips 
of the hooks long transparent chitinous threads pass 
upwards. The hooks fit into grooves and sockets in 
the head of the imago, as in the other species. This 
" shield " has also attached to it the chitinous lining 
of the mouth and oesophagus, which appear as trans- 
parent membranes. Traces of these organs can also be 
made out in the two other related species. The " shield " 
measures 2'2 mm. dorso-ventrally by 3*2 mm. trans- 
versely. 
The head of the imago bears a pair of grooves (Fig. 7, 
hhg), leading into sockets for the reception of the 
hooks, but the labral prongs are hardly represented at 
all, a pair of minute lumps being the only vestige to be 
recognized. The remains of the mandibles (Fig. 7, 
m?i) are rather prominent at the junction of the 
gense with the inner border of the eye. The palps 
(Fig. 7, p), in the only two specimens I was able to 
examine, are moderately clothed with hair, except at the 
apex, which resembles that of I), furcula. Each palp 
consists of two well-marked joints, with indications of 
a possible third (Fig. 7, jp). I would suggest that 
these are the organs by means of which the moth 
breaks open the cocoon. 
Saturnia carpini. 
The red litmus paper artificial cocoons for this species 
were made into a loosely coiled paper cone, the apex 
of which was left open and directed towards the light ; 
the head of the pupa lay near the apex. I was greatly 
astonished to find an abundant alkaline secretion dis- 
charged prior to exit from the cocoon. Doubtless, 
the fluid softens the converging silk fibres at the neck 
Potassium Hydroxide by Dicramcra vinula. 407 
of the flask-shaped cocoon, and thus the labour imposed 
upon the moth is lessened. Judging only by the size 
of blue stain produced, the amount discharged is little 
less than that produced by D. vinula. The head of the 
moth and of the pupa present no modifications corre- 
lated with the possession of a hard cocoon. 
Bonibyx callunse, B. lanestris, and Limacodes testiido. 
These three species form a group by themselves, 
inasmuch as their cocoons have many points in common, 
and all three have similar appliances for escaping. The 
cocoons are all tough, more or less cylindrical with 
rounded ends, one of which is raised as a lid at the 
time of emergence. The boring organ is of a totally 
different kind to that existing in the Dicranurans, and 
is not formed either by labral prongs or modified 
maxillary palps, nor does the anterior portion of the 
pupa form a "shield" to the head and eyes of the 
imago. On the contrary, by carefully denuding the 
head by brushing and blowing, it may be seen that the 
head is far more turned down, so as to bring the mouth 
parts into a more backward position, while the median 
frontal portion of the head between the eyes is pro- 
duced forward into a prominent and sharply-pointed 
umbo or boss (Fig. 9, b) of great strength, and capable 
of being used as a powerful awl in opening the lid of 
the cocoon. There are slight diSerences in the details 
observable in the three species named. B. callunse 
and B. lanestris have the boss developed to a less 
degree and less sharply-pointed on the head of the pupa 
also (Fig. 8), while in L. testudo the converse holds 
good, the boss being far sharper and stronger in the 
pupa than in the imago (Figs. 10-12). Indeed, the pupal 
boss is the only hard structure on the otherwise fragile 
and delicate pupa case of this species, I am inclined 
to think that the lid of the cocoon is broken open before 
the imago of L. testudo has got free from the pupa case. 
I was unable to make any direct observations on this 
point, since the larva does not pupate till many weeks 
after the formation of the cocoon, the whole winter and 
early spring, in fact, being passed in the larval condi- 
tion ; and, further, the species is, in my experience, 
408 Mr. 0. H. Latter on ike secretion of 
very intolerant of the unnatural conditions attending 
captivity. 
Mr, Edmonds of Windsor informs me that they can 
only be safely removed from their own cocoons just 
before pupatinof^ otherwise the larva? endeavour to 
construct a fresh cocoon, and so exhaust themselves. 
He also tells me that in casting the last larval skin it 
presses very hard on the sides of the cocoon and 
accomplishes the moult with remarkable rapidity. If, 
as is not improbable, strong pressure is applied to the 
sides of the cocoon when the pupal skin is about to be 
cast off, it can be readily seen that advantage would 
result in the pupa being so armed with a pointed boss 
that the exertion of bursting the pupa case should at 
the same time drive the boss into the line of junction 
between the lid and body of the cocoon. If this is so, 
then, probably, the very slight alkaline effusion is of no 
avail in softening the walls. 
Ilalias 'prasinana. 
I am indebted to the Rev. G. Chilton for pupa) by 
means of which I ascertained that this species dis- 
charges an alkaline liquid when escaping from the 
cocoon. The amount produced is not great, but very 
decided and more copious than that discharged by 
B. lanestris or L. testudo. 1 could discover no definite 
organ adapted for opening the cocoon, unless such be 
represented by a pair of short sharp projections from 
the antei'ior ventral margin of the rim of the eyes 
(Fig. 14, s). It should be mentioned, however, that no 
part of the cocoon is removed by the emerging imago. 
The anterior portion of the cocoon is formed by the 
drawing together of the two sides and the inter- 
weaving of their component fibres, so that the imago 
has merely to burst this suture and thrust the softened 
walls apart right and left, the walls returning into 
position immediately after. The mouth appendages are 
undoubtedly inadequate for the work — the antlias are 
very long and flexible, lacking the necessary rigidity ; 
the palps are soft and terminate in remarkable sucker- 
like discs (Fig. 13, p), they are curved upwards so as 
to present their venti'al surfaces to the front, the dorsal 
surfaces being correspondingly concave; the former 
Pofassium Hydroxide hy Dicranura vlnnla. 409 
surface is clad with long hairs (Figs. 13 aud 14)^ the 
latter with ordinary scales, while the sides offer a very 
beautiful series, passing ventral-wards, showing the 
gradual modification of the ordinary scale into the long 
hairs (Figs. 15, i.-iv.). Situated just dorsal and shghtly 
external to the insertion of the antlia3, and beneath 
the lateral edges of the labrum, is a pair of small 
appendages, consisting of a single joint only, and clad 
at their free extremities with a dense tuft of hairs 
(Fig. 13, 77m) ; three fine fibres (muscular or tendinous) 
pass to each of these, two are inserted near the outer 
margin of, and one near the inner margin of the 
junction with the head, I could not detect any movable 
articulation, though the presence of these fibres would 
lead one to expect it. These appendages appear to me 
to be, without doubt, the mandibles. If this prove 
correct, it may throw light upon the systematic position 
of H. presinana. 
I am aware that, in many particulars, these notes 
lack completeness ; I thought it best, however, to bring 
them together without further delay, in the hope that, 
by drawing attention to the secretion of alkaline liquids, 
others with more leisure for investigation than falls to 
my lot may be induced to take up and further extend 
the inquiries thus begun. 
410 Mr. 0, H. Latter on ilie secretion of 
Summary. 
i. Imagines of D. rimila, furcttia, hijida, B. callunce, lanestris, 
S. curj'ini, L. te>;tndo, and II. prasinana secrete from the 
mouth an alkaline fluid ou emerging from the pupa. 
ii. The Dicranuran species wear a "shield" derived from the 
pupa case as they emerge, and remove it subsequently by 
their legs. 
iii. The strength of the solution in D. v'nmla is about 1'4 
grammes of potassium hydroxide in every 100 c.c. of 
liquid. 
iv. The mesenteron of D. v'nmla developes an anterior dorsal 
diverticulum for storage of the alkali during pupal 
life. 
V. The palps of D. furcula and bifida are the boring tools used 
to open the cocoon. 
vi. In B. callunoi, laneatris, and L. teshido, the front of the head 
either of the pupa or imago is produced into a sharp boss 
for perforating the cocoon. 
vii. Small articulated (?) mandibles with muscle slips are present 
at the corners of the labrum of //. prus/nana. 
Potassium Hydroxide hy Dicrannra vinnla. 41 
Explanation op Plates VIII. and IX. 
Plate VIII. 
Fig. 1. — Dorsal view of alimentary canal of pupa of D. r inula 
the day after pupation : ce, oesophagus ; a r, alkaline 
receptacle ; mes, mesenteron ; r, rectum. 
Fig. 2. — Alimentary canal of pupa one month after pupa- 
tion : ce, oesophagus ; a r, alkaline receptacle ; mes, 
mesenteron ; r, rectum. 
Fig. 2a. — Side view of anterior part of same, enlarged : ce, 
oesophagus ; a r, alkaline receptacle ; mes, mesenteron ; 
r, rectum. 
Fig. 3. — Alimentary canal of freshly emerged imago : d, tube 
leading from body cavity to rectum ; ce, oesophagus ; 
a r, alkaline receptacle ; mes, mesenteron ; r, rectum. 
Fig. 3a. — Side view from another specimen, four days after 
emergence : d, tube leading from body cavity to 
rectum ; ce, oesophagus ; a r, alkaline receptacle ; )nes, 
mesenteron ; r, rectum. 
Fig. 4. — Internal surface of " shield" of D.furcula : ce p, portion 
of pupal oesophagus ; hk, hooks for securing " shield " 
to head of imago ; hk', small pair of hooks. 
Fig. 5. — Dorsal view of anterior part of head of imago of D. 
furcula : a, antlia ; p, maxillary palp ; hkg, groove 
for hooks {hk, in Fig. 4) ; I p, labral prongs as mere 
stumps. 
Fig. 6. — Ventral view of same : hk'cj, depressed area in which 
small hooks of shield are lodged. 
Fig. 7. — Dorsal view of anterior part of head of imago of J). 
bifida : a, antlia ; p, maxillary palp ; mn, mandible 
remnant ; hk(j, groove for hooks. 
Fig. 8. — Dorsal view of head of pupa of B. ccdlunce. 
412 Mi\ Latter on ilw secretion of Potassium Hydroxide' 
Plate IX. 
Fig. 9. — Dorsal view of part of head of imago of B. callunoi : 
b, pointed boss. Actual size 3'47 mm. by 2" 17 mm. 
The corresponding portions of pupa and imago of 
B. lanestris are in all essentials similar to those of 
B. calhmce, differing only in being smaller. 
Pig. 10. — Same view of head of pupa of L. testudo : h, pointed 
boss, 0-21 mm. long, 0-40 mm. broad at base. 
Fig. 11. — Front view of head of pupa of L. testudo : h, pointed 
boss. 
FiCr. 12. — Dorsal view of head of imago of L. testudo : h, blunt 
boss, 0'16 mm. long, 0-40 mm. broad at base. 
Fig. 13. — Dorsal view of anterior part of head of II. jiresinana : 
a, antlia ; mf, muscle (?) fibres ; j;, maxillary palp ; inn, 
mandible. 
Fig. 14. — Ventral view of same ; a, antlia ; ^), maxillary palp ; 
s, spike formed by rim of eye. 
Fig. 15. — Series of scales from palp, showing transition from 
ordinary form to hair-like form : i, from mid-dorsal 
surface of palp ; ii and ill, from edge and side respec- 
tively ; iv, from ventral surface. 
( 413 ) 
XV. Notes oil Seasonal Dimorphism of Rhopalocera in 
Natal. By Cecil W. Barker. Communicated 
by George Francis Hampson, B.A., F.E.S. 
[Read April 3rd, 1895.] 
Some species of butterflies are on the wing throughout 
the year, whilst others appear at one season only. The 
seasonal variations of the double or many-brooded species 
are often of a very marked character, modifying the 
facies so considerably as to lead to much confusion in 
the determination of species and varieties. The Pieriui« 
exhibit this seasonal variation most markedly, but it is 
also observable among the double-brooded species of 
both the Nymphalidse and LycaenidtB. 
The following rules generally hold good as character- 
istic of the changes and modifications which occur, and 
which serve to distinguish the dry season form from its 
summer or wet season representative : — 
1st. Smaller size and a disposition to greater acute- 
ness in the apices of the forewings. 
2nd, The dark markings of the upperside of wings 
become contracted or even obsolete. The 
markings of underside (especially of the apices 
of forewings and the whole of the hindwiugs) 
become suffused or merged in a generally 
duller and darker ground- colour. 
Those butterflies having spots or ocelli or both, show a 
disposition to contraction or obliteration of those spots. 
As regards those species having recognized varietal 
forms, the correctness or otherwise of the above rules 
is easily verified by simply first determining whether 
the variety in question be a dry season form or not of 
the species. Should it prove to be so, it is then easy 
to apply the principles as given above to it. 
But practical field observation, during a course of 
years, has convinced me that many of the so- 
called species are simply seasonal varieties of one and 
TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1895, — PART IIT. (SEPT.) 27 
414 Mr. Cecil W. Barker's 
the same butterfly. It is in these doubtful cases tliat 
I hope to show how the tendencies of dry season forms 
to modify, according to certain fixed rules, may assist in 
the determination of these as either true species or 
varieties. 
The reason for these seasonal modifications it is more 
difficult to understand. That in some cases the duller tints 
of the underside of the wings, adopted by the dry season 
forms, may serve for protection, is a very generally 
accepted opinion, and is perhaps borne out by the fact that 
the Danainse and Acrseinx, protected species, either do not 
modify according to the season, or, where there is some such 
modification, it is not in favour of duller tints. Thus in 
Acrsea petrsea, ? , the summer form is dark brown, whilst 
the dry season form is invariably red like the $ . 
Therefore, whether this change or modification of 
facies of dry season forms is due to protective mimicry, 
or whether it is the mere sympathy of organisms with 
their surroundings, it is beyond my knowledge or scope 
to determine. 
Subfamily Satyrin^. — Mycalesis perspicua in the 
dry season form exhibits very marked contraction of 
some of the ocelli of the underside and the obliteration 
of others. 
Mycalesis sajltza follows the same rule, and also shows 
local modification of a similar kind, probably due to the 
drier and less luxuriant character of the country in 
which these modifications occur — per exemplum. the 
variety M. evenus (HopS".) is alone found in the Knysna, 
which is the southern and western limit of this butterfly 
in the Cape Colony (Trimen, "South African Butterflies^^). 
Subfamily Nymphalin^. — Atella phalantha is on the 
wing both in summer and winter, and shows seasonal 
modifications. 
Thus all the fuscous markings and spots of the 
upperside are contracted in the dry season examples, 
and they also exhibit a disposition to sufi"usion of the 
markings and spots of the underside and a duller 
ground-colour. Junonia clelea in its dry season coat 
adopts a duller and darker underside. 
Freds cloantha exhibits attenuation of the upperside 
fuscous markings and a darker underside. P. elgiva 
exhibits the same tendency. Crenis loisduvaU modifies, 
but in a lesser degree. C. natalensis ditto. Hypanis ilithyia,