MYRMECOPHILOUS NOTES FOR 1911. 5 



Myrmica sulcinodis, Nyl. — A nest under a stone on the mountain 

 above Loch Rannoch Hotel on June 14th was found to contain 3" , 2 , 

 and ^ pupae, as did also another nest under a stone on the sandy 

 bank of the Nefchy, at Nethy Bridge, on June 21st. I took both nests 

 home and reared the winged sexes in them. As I hope shortly to 

 publish the distribution of our British ants as far as it is known 

 I mention any localities where I may have found species which, as far 

 as I know, have not been recorded before. Arnold, Ham, and I have 

 all found this species in the New Forest. Besides nests under stones, 

 I have several times taken dealated $ s in sand-pits there. 



Mijnnica lacrinodifi, Nyl. — Colonies were found under stones on a 

 small Island in Tobermorey Bay, off Mull, and on the Isle of Eigg in 

 September. In two nests under stones at Rannoch, on the mountains, 

 several nearly black ^ s were taken. On September 28th, at Flaxmere, 

 Delamere, a few ^ s and a <? were found in sphagnum. 



Myrniica scabrinodis, Nyl., was found on Mull in September. 



Mijrniiea lobicnrnis, Nyl. — A ^ was found in sphagnum on Mull. 

 Two nests were dug up at Weybridge in July, both being beneath 

 nests of Formica mnfiuinea : no ? s could be found. I have taken 

 this ant at Whitstable and on Wimbledon Common. 



Leptothovax acervortoii, F.— A 5? was taken in a nest of Formica 

 exsecta, and a dealated J with F. pratensis at Rannoch on June 12th. This 

 species is very common at Rannoch under bark. In one nest under 

 the bark of a log, lying in the saw-pit, all the ants were observed to be 

 covered with a fungus, but were quite active. I secured a number, 

 but most unfortunately lost the tube. Wheeler^ records the known 

 cases of ants infested with Laboulbeniaceae, and he has himself found 

 such ants. He says there are two known species, Rickia ivasmanni, 

 Cavora, and Laboulbenia formicornm, Thaxter, which occur on ants. It 

 is impossible to say now if my ants presented a case in point. L. 

 acerroriim also occurs under stones on the mountains. I found two 

 colonies under the same stone as Myrmica laeviiwdis. Both species 

 had larva? and pupae, and appeared to be quite friendly. They did 

 not attack each other when disturbed, and if they picked up each other's 

 larvae, or pupae, when taking them into safety, they put them down 

 again. The acercomm ^ s were very dark in colour, and ForeP writes, 

 " The alpine variety of this race is sometimes nearly entirely of a 

 brown-black, and lives under stones." Cameron^ records an almost 

 black variety of the ^ at Kintail. I have found L. acervoruin on the 

 sandhills at Camber. 



Leptothnrax iinifasciata Latr.— Crawley and I found a small colony 

 in the cliff at St. Margaret's Bay on August 20th, we were unable to 

 find g s, or ? s. In 1907^ I found a larger colony there and secured a 

 S and dealated 5 . 



Tetramorium caespitum, L.- — In April Crawley and I visited St. Issey, 

 in Cornwall, and we found many nests of this ant under stones on the 

 cliffs. A number of Cardamine seeds were found in some of the nests 

 on April 2oth. . I have before recorded'^ taking the same seeds, which 



2. Psxjche, xvii., 1910, pp. 83-86. 



3. Fotirmis de la Suisse, J873, p. 84. 



\ Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc, Glasgow, II., 1875, p. 293. 

 '\ Trans. Leicester, Lit., and Phil., Soc, 1908, p. 227. 

 «. Ent. Record, 1910, p. 17. 



