TRUE GUESTS, ECTO- AND ENTOPARASITES. 



45 



our American Clavigerids Adranes coccus and lecontei (Fig. 237, A) 

 are worthy of mention, but nothing is known of their habits except 

 that they live with species of Lasius. The only form that has been 

 at all carefully studied is the common European Claviger tcstaccus 

 (Fig. 237, B). This beetle, which is totally blind, figures promi- 

 nently in the works of W. J. P. Miiller, Maerkel, Wasmann, Hetcliko, 

 Janet and others. It lives only with species of Lasius, being most 

 often seen in the nests of L. fla-vus, an ant which it closely resembles 

 in color. It is provided with golden trichomes which are licked 

 by its host, and is fed with regurgitated food, although it often eats 

 the ant larvae. Hetchko (1896) 

 found that it also eats other insect 

 food and can be kept alive apart from 

 the ants for a period of 57 days. 

 Janet has kept individuals alive in 

 company with ants for more than four 

 years. The beetles are often carried 

 about by the ants in their jaws and 

 permitted to ride for hours at a time 

 on their backs. 



Symphily reaches its most perfect 

 expression in the Lomechusini, a 

 sharply circumscribed group of beetles 

 which has been diligently studied for 

 the past twenty years by Wasmann. 

 He has recorded his observations in 

 more than thirty special papers (see 

 literature in Appendix E) and never tires of referring to these insects 

 in his more general works. The following paragraphs, taken from 

 one of his papers (1897^0, give a summary of the life-history of 

 these beetles : 



" The Lomechusa group, embracing the palearctic genera Loinc- 

 chusa and Atemeles and the nearctic genus Xenodusa, contains, from 

 an ethological point of view, the most interesting and at the same time 

 the largest of the true ant-guests (symphiles) of the north temperate 

 region. These Staphylinicls, which belong to the subfamily Aleo- 

 charinae, are treated by the ants like their own kith and kin, live in 

 antennary communication with them, are cleaned and licked and occa- 

 sionally carried about, and are fed from the mouths of their hosts, 

 although they are also able to feed independently and frequently devour 

 the ant brood. The ants are especially attracted to these beetles on 

 account of the prominent tufts of yellow hairs on the sides of their 



FIG. 241. Xenodusa cava. (Original.) 



