PROCEEDINGS OF THE TUIED EJSTOMULOGIC'AL MEETING Ui\ 



fields of California — another example of hardy constitution to which 

 we have as yet no parallel in India. 



Wet places, especially wet sandy patches in beds of streams or muddy, 

 patches along roadsides, are often very attractive to butterflies in dry 

 weather and may sometimes be seen literally carpeted with these insects 

 sucking Up the moisture. In such cases, it is often noticeable that each 

 species keeps to itself. 



Marsliy places have a special flora to which some insects are attached. 

 For example, the larva of BxtcMeria paludicola feeds on Drosera (" sun- 

 dew ") and the imago of this little Plume-moth may be taken in the 

 evening -in and around marshy places where Drosera is growing abun- 

 dantly. 



Dry, sandy places, such as the beds of rivers during the dry season, 

 yield many insects, amongst which species of Cicindela are conspicu- 

 ously plentiful. The sandy seashore also has its special fauna, and 

 Cicindela biramosa, for example, is never found at any distance from 

 a sandy beach. 



TJie jnesence of ants in numbers on plants is generally a sure sign 

 of the presence of other insects which they are attending, .such insects 

 including Lycsenid larvae, Coccids, Aleyrodids, Membracids, etc. Many 

 insects also are predacious or parasitic on Coccids, etc., and these also 

 should not be overlooked. 



Ants' nests contain numerous myrmecophilous insects (principally 

 beetles) rarely found except by searching these nests. Termites' nests 

 also contain termitophilous, CoUembola, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and 

 other insects amongst which may be mentioned the curious wingless 

 Phorid flies belonging to the genus Termitoxenia. The nests of the 

 social spiders of the genus Stegodyphus harbour small Celechiad moths, 

 and nests of vertebrate ajiimals often contain fleas and other parasites 

 of such animals and also insects feeding on the substance of the nests 

 themselves, from which they may be collected or bred out. 



Spiders' ivehs often repay examination as they are sometimes foxmd 

 to contain rmdamaged sjjecimens of uncommon insects. At least one 

 bug hves normally in spiders' webs, being predaceous on the eggmaSses, 

 and sjjiders' eggs also have insect parasites. 



Bats have a pecuhar insect- fauna of which little is known in India. 

 Flying-foxes are infested with peculiar wingless Nycteribiad flies of 

 the genus Cyclopodia, and Lyroderma carries small winged Strebhd 

 flies and the rare and abnormal bug, Polyctenes lyrcv. Other verte- 

 brate animals have of course their special parasitic insects, but those 

 of bats are of especial interest from a scientific view-point. 



