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Show INSECTA. , , 94 . d' lated at its ongm, . 1 • or ovoid abdomen, abruptly pe JCU ity of the thorax, ed, trlangu at . d superior extrem is inserted into the postenor an under the scutellum( 1 ). PELECINUS, Lat. Fal>. b nus inserted much in the fo 11 owl· n g su ge ' Where the abdomen, as . . f the posterior 1e gs, i.s elong. ate1d , . 1 b e the or1gm o d somettmes grac u- ~::':;i~!~ttfi~i~o:~. ver~ long an:n~•·c,:~~~~~:d like. a club.d The ally nat·rowed towat~ds ttsdbas~he antennre are stratght an very . 'hire are mflate • posten~r t1 d is formed of three small(2 )· . sitor projects greatly an Sometimes the ovlpo . . d equal threads. . . b';:e are clavate; the antennre dtsttnct an d posteriOr t1 1 · d S ch In some, the abdome. n alna is enu. re or st. m ply emargmate • u are filiform, and the hgu is Frenus proper, or . (3) Fa:Nus, F a b ·- Ichneumon, Lm. is compresse d ' ellipsoidal, or falci· T h abdomen of the others The antennre are setaceous. e . . b' re slender· form, an d all their t1 1re a AuLAous, Jur. Spin. Where t l1 e a bdomen is ellipsoidal( 4). PAxYLLOMA, Breb. Where the abdomen is falciform( 5). . . f the lci-INEUMONIDES, the wmgs In the second tribe, tha.t o l ys presenting complete . d the superiOr ones a wa . b are also veme ' . . Tt bdomen originates C· 11 · their d1sk le a 11 or closed ce s m . . The antenn:e are genera y tween the two posteriOr legs. G Crust. et Insect., lll, P· 250. l , (1) See Fab., Jnr., Lat., en. dE Method. article Pe ectne. (2) See the works a1 r ea dy q uoted 'Gan ncCycru. st. et Ins'e ct., IV, 3; an d Panzer . I o t . Lat., ener., (3) See Jurme, l ymen p i' S inol., Insect. Lignr. the Hymenoptera. See a so p . I on don a slllge (4) Idem. D' t d'Hist. Nat. 2d edit.; a subgenus forme (S) See the Nouv. lC • . spect.e s closely allied to the Ophion, Fab. HYMENOPTERA. 95 filiform or setaceous, rarely clavate, vibratile, and multiarti. cu]ated, being composed of sixteen joints at least. In most of them the mandibles have no tooth on the inner ~ide, and ter· minate in a bifid point. The maxillary pa1pi, always appa· rent or salient, consist most commonly of but five joints. The ovipositor is formed of three threads. This tribe embraces almost the whole genus IcHNEUMON, Lin.(l) These Insects destroy the postel'ity of the Lepidoptera, so noxious to the agriculturalist under the form of caterpillars, just as the quadruped so called is said to destroy that of the Crocodile by breaking its eggs, and even by introducing itself into the body of the animal in order to devour its entr·ails. Some authors have called them Moue/tea tripilea, on account of the three setre which compose their ovipositor, and Moue/tea vibrantea, because their antennre are continually vibt·ating. These organs are frequently curled (contournees), and have a white or yellowish annular spot in the middle. Their maxillary palpi are elongated, almost setaceo.us, and consist of from five to six joints; the labials are shorter, filiform, and have but from three to four joints. The ligula is usually entire or simply cmarginated. The body is most frequently narrow and elongated or linear, with the ovipositor sometimes exterior and resembling a tail, and sometimes very short and concealed in the interior of the abdomen, which then terminates in a point, whilst in those where the ovipositor is salient it is thicker, and as if clavate and truncated posteriorly. Of the three pieces which compose this instrument the intermediate is the only one that penetrates into the bodies in which these Insect~ deposit their eggs; its extremity is flattened, and sometimes resembles the nib of a pen. The females, anxious to lay, are continually flying ot· walking about(2), in order to discover the larv~, nymphs, and eggs of In- ( 1) This genus comprises upwards of twelve ltundred species, and its study is extremely difficult. The labours of MM. Gravenhorst and Kees de Esenbeck have rendered it somewhat easier. The former of these gentlemen has lately published the prospectus of a complete work on these Insects, and we have every reason to believe that this interesting portion of entomology will be henceforward as well understood as the state of the science trill allow. (2) Some species are aptet·ous or have but very short wings. They are the subject of a. particular Monograph published by M. Gravenhorst, who has also favoured us with another on the Ichneumons of Piemont . |
