54 Lea, The Guests of Ants, Bees, and Termites. [^ '^juij^^^" 



BrenthidcB, has been taken in the nests of many species of ants 

 and termites. 



The Carabidce, the second largest family of beetles, are 

 represented by but few species, of which three belong to the 

 genus Adelotopus ; these, although of oblong shape and with very 

 short legs, are extremely rapid in their movements. As, however, 

 most of the family are carnivorous, many of them eat ants away 

 from their nests. 



The Tenebrionidce, another very large family of beetles, is 

 represented only by a single species of Tribolium, the only one 

 indigenous to Australia, although several introduced species of 

 the genus are known to occur here. 



The Lagriidce are represented by Lagria formicicola, which 

 lives in nests of the ferocious Bull-dog Ant, Myrmecia Jorjicata ; 

 the common L. grandis is also an occasional visitor to nests 

 under stones. 



From the nests of white ants, so far, very few beetles have been 

 taken, but probably many will yet be found there. At present 

 only two species of Articeriis and of Tmesiphorus, and one each 

 of Batrisodes and Eup)ines are all the Pselaphidcp known from 

 such nests. Cordus hospes, of the BrenthidcE, is sometimes 

 common. Of the Scarabcridce, Mcechidius tibialis, was seen in 

 numbers in a nest by Mr. Froggatt, and Mr. Elgner has taken a 

 fine Novapus at Cape York in the larval and pupal stages, as 

 well as the beetles themselves ; he has also taken an Amarygmus 

 and a species of Erotyllidce, as well as the larvre of another from 

 a nest, and several other larvae belonging to the Carabidce.. One 

 species of Dabra {Slaphylinidce) was taken in a nest of 

 Coptoterjiies roffrayi in Western Australia, and a species of an 

 allied genus in a nest in New South Wales. These complete the 

 list, with the exception of a small species, the position of which is 

 doubtful, and of which the only known specimen is too badly 

 broken to be named. 



Our native bees' nests have seldom been examined for insects, 

 but one singular species of Brachyj^ephis (family Nitidulidce) is 

 known to occur in nests about Sydney. In deserted hives of the 

 common bee, Ptinns exulans (of the Ftinidrp), sometimes occurs 

 in large numbers. 



Stylopidcp, parasitic on the bodies of various bees and wasps, 

 so far have not been recorded from Australia (but several species 

 that attack Uomoptera have been recorded from Queensland). 

 One species, shortly to be named, has been taken in Western 

 Australia ; and Islr. Aug. Simson sent to England a Tasmanian 

 wasp, in the abdomen of which a female Stylops was noticed. 

 The family is a remarkable one, and although many entomologists 

 regard it as an aberrant group of beetles, the majority look on it 

 as forming a distinct order. 



Some species of aphides and scale insects (mostly mealy-bugs) 



