August, '08] JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 263 



tivel.y known to be persistent guests or constant dwellers in the 

 colonies of this species. Certain Stapliylinidce are found in decaying 

 logs and in nil)bish heaps which are literall.y honeycombed with the 

 galleries of the Argentine ant, yet these beetles, when confined in the 

 artificial formicaries with populous colonies of this ant, fail to sur- 

 vive. In fact, when placed in a formicary they are invariabl.y at- 

 tacked by the worker ants. Whether this is due to the unnatural 

 conditions surrounding the ants is a question, as the ants live, thrive 

 and increase in the artificial formicaries with apparently the same 

 freedom and facility as in the purely natural outdoor colonies. 



The first and only true guests as yet observed in the colonies of the 

 Argentine ant were found by the writer in March of the present year. 

 Upon examining a large colony located in a heap of decaying cotton 

 seed and straw, thousands of brown mites w^ere found and while the 

 first impression was that they were breeding in the decaying vegeta- 

 tion, examination of the entire heap showed that the mites occurred 

 only in the heart of the ant colony. 



Specimens of these mites were sent to Dr. L. 0. Howard, who sub- 

 mitted them to Mr. Nathan Banks of the Bureau of Entomology. Mr. 

 Banks found that there were two distinct species, both new, and he 

 kindly prepared descriptions of them as follows : 



Uropoda ac/itaiis ii. sp. 



"Body oval, in the female slightly more pointed behind than in the male; 

 about one and one half times as long as broad, broadest behind coxae III and 

 IV; the anterior tip of the body frequently depressed a little so as to appear 

 slightly emarginate in front. Dorsum smooth, two little bristles in front un- 

 der anterior margin; venter with a few short, stiff bristles, a pair slightly 

 in front of the anus and a pair more widely separate behind. Peritreme very 

 large at stigma, a slight projection beyond, anterior part at first curved, then 

 extending obliquely forward and outward, then suddenly turned upon itself 

 it runs back and diverges toward coxa II. Female genital aperture large, 

 occupying all the area between coxae and reaching to the camerostome, and 

 behind to middle of coxa IV; the male genital aperture is only a little longer 

 tnan broad, and about its length from the camerostome. Legs .short, I 

 with many hairs near tip, one as long as tarsus, other legs with short spines, 

 most numerous on the tarsi. Hind tarsi about as long as space between hind 

 cox£e. Length 9 nnn. 



"Baton Rouge, La.; associated with the Argentine ant." 



Uropatld provocdiis n. sp. 



"Body elongate oval ; tip more acute, anterior end sliglitly produced in the 

 middle. Dorsum with many prominent bristles; the two bristles under an- 

 terior margin are very long, two thirds as long as tarsus I; venter with a 

 number of bristles. Peritreme large, with a very small inner prolongation, 

 anteriorly it runs nearly straight at first, then curves outward and turns 



