482 



Larvae of Membracis. 



species of bees in the putrifying intestines of a hen. Repeatedly he saw them 

 sucking the juice flowing out of trees. 



In consequence of other observations this same species of Trigona is supposed 

 by my brother to suck the secretion of the larvae of a certain hemipterous insect 

 belonging to the genus Membracis, or to a closely allied one. As I do not pre- 

 cisely know the name of this supposed milk-cow, I here give the illustration of 

 its larvse and imago, drawn from specimens sent me by my brother. 



Fig. i. 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. I. Lateral view of larva. 



Fig- 3- 

 Fig 2. Lateral view of imago. 



Fig. 3. Front view of head of imago. 



He found the pedunculi of the flowers of Cassia multijuga pretty frequently 

 occupied by societies of larvae of this species closely crowded together. Amongst 

 these larvae there was present a great number of the above-mentioned Trigona, 

 marching all the day long amongst and upon them. When taken between the 

 fingers, the larvae of Membracis immediately emitted a little drop of a limpid fluid 

 from the upward bent tip of their abdomen probably a sweet fluid, for the sucking 

 of which the larvae are visited by the Trigona. 



Unfortunately the specimens of this Trigona, enclosed in a letter sent me 

 by brother, arrived here quite broken, so as not to be determinable ; but in a 

 future number of this journal I hope to be able accurately to name both the 

 supposed milker and the supposed milk-cow. 



