[Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 23 (X.S.), Pt. I., 1910.] 



Art. XX. — Australian and Tasnutnian Coleoptei-a In- 

 habiting or Resort iny to tJic Nests of Ants, Bees, 

 and Termites. 



By ARTHUR M. LEA. 



(With Plates XXY.-XXVIl.). 

 [Read 14th July, 1910]. 



For about tAventy years, whenever the opportunity presented 

 itself, I have examined the nests of ants, bees, and termites, in 

 which, as is well known, many remarkable forms of insect 

 life are to be found. Many species have been recorded from 

 such nests by past and present workers at Australian beetles, 

 but no paper dealing with them as a whole has hitherto been 

 published. In 1904, however, I had the privilege of offering to 

 this Society a short paper dealing with some ants'-nest beetles, 

 including two very curious new genera, that were taken in the 

 Mallee by Mr. J. C. Goudie. Since then Mr. Goudie has taken 

 other curious forms, and Messrs. H. W. Davey of Geelong, H. 

 W. Cox and Dr. E. W. Ferguson of Sydney, have sent many 

 species from ants' nests, and at various times a few others 

 were received from Messrs. C. French of Melbourne, George 

 Masters, H. J. Carter, W. W. Froggatt and Taylor Bros, of 

 Sydney, H. H. D. Griffith of Adelaide, H. Elgner of Cape York, 

 H. Hacker of Cairns, Mrs. F. H. Hobler of Toowoomba, and 

 Mr. Aug. Siraison of Launceston. A few also were received 

 from the Australian Museum that were taken by the late Rev. 

 R. L. King. As the total number of species now known to 

 me is very considerable, it was thought advisable to prepare a 

 paper dealing with them, Ijut including in it all the species 

 hitherto recorded as having been taken in the nests of ants, 

 bees and termites in Australia. It is hoped also that papers 

 dealing with species of other orders of insects found in ants' 

 nests will be published shortly, as materials for such have 

 been accumulating for some time, and several specialists have 

 been requested to deal with them. 



