295 



Tolerance. It i? of iutcrrsr rliat in several eases more 

 than one female was fonnd in the lield associated with a sinii,le 

 host larva. In experimental work along this line there seemed 

 to be no limit whatever to the nnml)er of Scleioderinns i)n- 

 iiiif/ran.'i M'hieli wonld simultaneously but without any partieu- 

 lar cooperation join in mastering a single beetle grul) and the 

 relatively enormous full-grown grubs of Xystroccra (jlohosa 

 (Olivier) and Aegosoma reflexam Karsch were always ulti- 

 mately overcome if enough individuals were placed with them. 

 Further, these females invariably lived in harmony upon- the 

 ])aralyzed prey, oviposited, and the progeny of the diU'ereut 

 females fed and reached maturity without interference from 

 the others. This tolerance extended even to the grubs of other 

 species of Sclerodemms and, while the experimental work was 

 not continued as long as is desirable, adults of diiferent 

 species were secured which had developed together on the 

 same larva. This interspecific tolerance is the more surpris- 

 ing from the fact that Sderodermus immrigrans readily at- 

 tacked and fed upon and its grubs developed to adults on the 

 grubs of bees of the genus Nesoprosopis; of the fossorial wasps 

 Crabo and Seelipltron-: the ants. TelraDiorliiin guineeiise ( Fab- 

 ricius) and Camponotus maculatus (Fabricius), and even the 

 IJracouid and Chalcidoid parasites, Honniopfenis and Eu pel- 

 mux which Avere associated with the Neoclytarlus. 



('(inflicts of Scloodenniis invmlgnuts with its Prey. A fe- 

 male was observed attempting to sting the prepupal larva of 

 Neoclylnrhis enphorhiae. She grasped the edges of the sutures 

 of the middle of the abdomen with her mandibles and Imldiug 

 on with her legs, curved her abdonu'u and body aromid the hii-va 

 attempted to sting it on the ventral side in the vicinity of the 

 suture iK'twecu the-tifth ami sixth segments. The larva I'c^jtoud- 

 ed to this effort by violent contortions during which it rotated 

 first in one direction and then in the other, Imt without Itciug 

 able- to dislodge the Schrodernnis. T could not make out 

 whethei' she was able to ])eneti'ate its skin with her sting. 



A female jdaced witli a lai'va of Xcorl i/lnrhis- was ol»- 



