﻿II 



minute species of Ncochclogyiuis attack small graminivorous 

 Jassids. The larval sac of these small robust insects is placed ven- 

 t'-ally on the hopper behind the posterior legs, or on the side ot 

 the neck. Most of the species of this genus, however, attack 

 tree Jassids, and the larval sac is attached behind the posterior 

 coxae on the ventral surface of the body. Naturally all these 

 insects are at times met with in the adult state by sweeping 

 grasses, but not in any considerable numbers. The apterous 

 insects of the Gonatopus group can be found in some numbers 

 by special searching about the rdots of grasses in Australia, es- 

 pecially on sandy banks, similar to those on which I used to 

 take Gonatopus itself in some numbers twenty years ago in Eng- 

 land. The tree-frequenting winged forms are only taken rare- 

 ly and singly, by beating branches of trees or shrubs, even in 

 places where the dryinized hoppers are quite abundant, and 

 v/here the mature insects can be obtained in numbers by breed- 

 ing. Parantcon no doubt has special habits ; for the sluggi<^h 

 hopper, that it affects, forms flocks of greater or less extent, and 

 excreting much honev-dew, is invariably covered with swarms 

 of ants, usually a moderate-sized species of the Formicidae. The 

 Paranteon bears some slight resemblance to the ant in apoear- 

 c-mce, and this resemblance is enhanced by its actions. If a num- 

 ber of the parasites be bred top"ether in a glass vial, they may be 

 seen gathered in pairs, standing sub-erect on their four hind 

 legs, face to face, stroking one another, licking each other's 

 mouth, soliciting food. Now the ants, that attend the hoppers, 

 themselves behave in similar fashion, and it is most probable that 

 they actually feed the Paranteon, which unless it were on friend- 

 ly terms with the ants could never approach the hoppers to lay 

 its eggs in these. It is only necessary to touch a twig on which 

 a colony of the hoppers rest, to see how assiduous are the ants 

 in protecting the colony from any interference. Further, it 

 would be interesting to note what happens to the full-grown 

 larva of the parasite, which must emerge from its sac amongst a 

 swarm of carnivorous ants, that are always prepared to kill and 

 carry ofif any weaker insect, that falls in t'heir way. Most prob- 

 ably not only are the larvae not harmed by the ants, but they 

 may be carried down by them to their underground nest, and 

 pupate therein. In captivity the larva forms its cocoon well be- 

 neath the soil. 



All the species of the Dryinidae, which have the front legs 

 •fibnormally lengthened in the females, when resting, place these 

 in a characteristic position. The knee-joints on either side rise 



