PARASITIC ON ANTS. 43I 



The sternal surface has strongly marked depressions 

 for the reception of the legs. The coxae of the first pair 

 of legs are largely developed, flattened, almost touch in 

 tlie median line, and nearly conceal the mouth, as in the 

 typical Uropodas. The genital opening of the male is 

 rather large, round, and placed centrally between the 

 coxa> of the second pair of legs. The female appears 

 only to be distinguished from the male by being more 

 strongly chitinised, and by the conspicuous valval plate 

 which occupies the whole space between the coxje of 

 the second and third pairs of legs and extends beyond 

 both. 



The nymph is less square in the abdomen than the 

 adult, and the border of hairs is absent ; the margin is 

 somewhat undulated, the concave undulations being so 

 placed as to give free action to the legs when raised ; 

 the central depression of the abdomen is far less 

 marked than in the adult ; a slight ridge runs all round 

 the dorsal surface a little Avithin the margin ; four 

 ridges, two anterior and two posterior, run from the 

 circumscribing ridge to a raised ellipse in the centre ; 

 there are not any plates for the protection of the legs, 

 and the coxae of the first pair are not flattened as in the 

 adult. 



This mite lives in the nests of Formica flava. 



Description of a Nexo Genvs and Species of Phoridm 

 2)arasitic on Ants. By G. H. Verrall, Esq., Memb. 

 Entom. Soc. 



Sir Joiiisr Lubbock has kindly forwarded for my exami- 

 nation and determination certain specimens of dipterous 

 insects said to have been found parasitic on species of 

 ants, which latter he has been studying with care as to 

 their habits. Having given considerable attention to 

 the family Phoridre, I was agreeably surprised to find 



