76 'myemecophilous beetles 



shaped antennae), which is quite blind,^ and appears to 

 be absolutely dependent upon the ants, as Miiller first 

 pointed out. It even seems to have lost the power of 

 feeding itself; at any rate it is habitually fed by the ants, 

 who supply it with nourishment as they do one another. 

 JNIiiller saw the ants caressing the beetles with their 

 antennae. The Clavigers have certain tufts of hairs at the 

 base of the elytra, and Miiller, whose observations have 

 since been confirmed by subsequent entomologists, saw 

 the ants take their tufts of hairs into their mouths and 

 lick them, as well as the whole upper surface of the body, 

 with apparently the greatest enjoyment. Grrimm ^ has 

 made a similar observation with reference to Dinarda 

 dentata, another of these myrmecophilous beetles. 

 He several times observed the ants licking the tuft 

 of hairs at the end of the abdomen. Lespes ^ has con- 

 firmed this. On one occasion he saw an ant feed a 

 Lomechusa. Several of the former were sucking a 

 morsel of sugar. The beetle approached one of them, 

 and tapped her several times on the head with her 

 antennae. The ant then opened her mandibles, and fed 

 the Lomechusa as she would have done one of her own 

 species. The Lomechusa crept on the sugar, but did 

 not appear able to feed herself. 



As might naturally be expected the myrmecophilous 

 insects are not found indiscriminately in the nests of 



1 Gcrmar's Mag. de Zcol. 1818, p. 69. 



"^ SteUin. Ent. Zcit. 1845, p. 123 



» Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1855, p. 51. 



