MYRMECOPHILOUS NOTKS FOR 1P0G. ."5 



ants, occasionally they hovered so close to the ants, that the latter 

 tried to reach up to them. Sp. 2 ? — I took a specimen in a nest of 

 Formica riifibarbisvax. fusco-rufibarbis, at Whitsand Bay, in September. 



Ciiaix ii'in.v.. — Spalangia, sp. ? — I took a specimen of a species of 

 this genus in a nest of Lasius fidiginosus, at Wellington College, and 

 have since bred it in numbers from my nest of the same ant, indeed, 

 it is still emerging (November 28th). It is a jet-black species like its 

 host. I have taken, and bred, various other species of Chalcididae 

 with ants, but am unable to get even the names of the genera. They 

 no doubt occur as parasites on the ants themselves, and others as 

 parasites on some other inhabitant of the nest. 



Coccid.e. — Mr. Newstead, has kindly named the < 'occidae I have 

 taken with ants this year. Two species turn out to be new to science. 

 Mr. Newstead describes them as follows : — 



Ripersia donisthoepei, ii. sp. (pi. i., figs. 1-2). — Female. — Antenna stout (fig. 1), 

 relatively long ; of seven segments, the last much the longest, but not wider than the 

 6th ; all the segments have several rather long slender hairs, in addition to these the 

 6th segment has a long slender spine near the apex on the inner lateral margin, 

 and there are two similar spines on the 7th, and possibly three others, but only the 

 basal attachments are left in the specimen. Eyes hemispherical, placed on a line 

 just behind the insertion of the antenna?. Mentum monomerous ; loop of rostral 

 filaments short, about twice the length of the mentum. Legs (fig. 2) relatively long 

 and stout ; ventral hair to posterior trochanter a little more than three-Jourths the 

 length of the femur, very slender ; digitules to tarsi absent ; claws short. Anal 

 orifice with eight long hairs. Anal lobes indicated by a single stout hair and three 

 to four short spines. Stigmata large. Dermis (fig. 1) with a few scattered hairs ; 

 tubular spinnerets short, orifice circular, small, they are much more numerous at 

 the margins, and especially so at the posterior extremity, but in the region of the 

 anal orifice, dorsally, they are almost entirely replaced by much larger, and 

 apparently non-tubular, spinnerets. Length, 2 - 50mm. ; width, 1mm. (Newstead). 



The distinctive features of this species are the unusually elongated 

 form, the number of hairs to an anal orifice, and the great length of 

 the ventral hair to the trochanter. Habitat. — In a nest of Poneva 

 contracta, at Charing, Kent. 



Ripersia formicarii, n. sp. (pi. i., fig. 3). — Female adult. — Very short, ovate, 

 narrowed in front, widely rounded behind ; highly convex above, fiat beneath ; 

 segmentation of the dorsum distinct ; cephalo-thoracic margin with five con- 

 strictions ; abdominal extremity with a central emargination, and one bilateral, 

 deep, indentation. Colour, in alcohol, dull purple-brown, slightly mealy. Antenna 

 . 1st, 2nd, and 3rd almost equal in lei b about two- 



thirds the length of the 6th ; 4th and .5th shortest ; 6th longest and slightly wider 

 than the -1th, with a strongly-curved spinose hair near the tip. Lyes small, 

 hemispherical, placed considerably behind the insertion of the antennas. Legs 

 rather long, slender; anterior tarsus a little shorter than the tibia. Anal lobes 

 obsolete. Anal orifice with six hairs. Dermal spinnerets very minute, numerous. 

 Mentum bimerous; rostral loop a little longer than tin; mentum. I 

 l*75mm.; width. l*50mm. Larva (matured) elongate. Antenna much swollen at 



the apex; lst-oth segments short, almost equal in length; apical s< nts longest, 



a little longer than 3rd, 4th, and 5th together. Legs long, stout; digitules to claws 

 and tarsi simple. Anal lobes small but distinct, each with one long hair and two 

 or tbree very short slender ones (Newstead). 



A single female and fully matured larva were found associated with 

 Lasius flavus, at Charing, Kent. Easily recognised by its short rotund 

 form and the character of the antennae. 



Bipersia tomlinii, Newstead. — Two immature females, associated 

 with Lasius fiavus and /.. niger, Isle of Wight. These were two of 

 a number of specimens I took with these species of .-nits al Blacl ■ 



