BRAZILIAN MUTILLA. 3 



" Von Ihering and others have recently called attention to the 

 dual character of the Brazilian fauna. Long ago, I arrived at the 

 conclusion that the campo fauna and flora constitute an older and 

 to some extent decadent set, which is gradually being overrun by 

 the forest. Many of the canipo animals are older types, found in 

 the Tertiary ; I may mention the Armadilloes and Ostriches. The 

 strange Coleopter, Hiipoce])]ialus, is a campo insect, and Le Conte* 

 arrived at the conclusion that it is a very ancient and synthetic 

 type. I might multiply such examples, but enough has been said 

 to show the great interest of the subject. 



" It is then a ftict of peculiar significance that the Mutillidse are 

 almost exclusively campo insects; they are never common in exten- 

 sive forest regions (e. g. the Brazilian coast range). Sometimes they 

 are seen on open and dry forest roads, or in clearings ; but in such 

 cases they are evidently wanderers from the open lands. Possibly 

 there are some true forest species, but if so I do not know then). 

 The Mutillidse are abundant all over the plateau, and in open places 

 along the lower Amazons ; probably the sandy soil is favorable to 

 them. The females run about on the ground, rather slowly, and 

 are conspicuous on account of their bright colors ; they sting severely, 

 but (as with the Pompilidte) the inflamation soon subsides, leaving 

 only a persistent numbness. It is the rarest thing to find males and 

 females together ; the males occur on the ground, sometimes on 

 flowering plants; they fly heavily and slowly. The females are 

 often found digging holes in the sand, and I have seen them carry- 

 ing small spiders, no doubt to provision the nests. 



"A few Mutilla fi-om Minas Geraes were given to me by my 

 friend Sr. Carvalho, of Rio de Janeiro. All the others were col- 

 lected by myself or my assistants. 



" Following is a list of the localities ; the name of the State is 

 added in parenthesis : 



" Benevides (Para), 15 or 20 miles south of Para, on low, 

 sandy land like that near the city; forest with clearings and open 

 roads, but there is campo land within a few miles. The specimens 

 were collected along roads in sunny places. 



" Chapada (Matto Grosso), is 25 miles northeast of Cuyaba, on 

 the plateau, approximately 2500 ft. above the sea, but many of the 

 insects were collected as low as 1500 ft. The land is partly sandy and 



* On the Affinities of Hypoeephalus, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, v, 1876, pp. 209-218. 



TKANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXVIII. JANUARY, 1902. 



