﻿LEPIDOPTÉROLOGIE COMPAREE 2/9 



Sept. lotJi. Got some Myrmica scabrïnodïs from Earlswood 

 Common, but got no queen and by way of brood only somc 

 pupae, placed them with the larvae of L. alcon in an improvised 

 observation nest. The ants seemed quite fricndly vvith the alcon 

 larvae, and one of the latter seemed to be trying to taste a pupa, 

 but without obvious success. 



Sept. iith. Got some more ants but hardly any brood and 

 placed them in another nest with two larvae of alcon, ail seemed 

 friendly. 



Sept. i^th. After various unsuccessful attempts, got two lots 

 (from two nests) of Myrmica scabrinodis from Betchworth, and 

 established them m two nests, each v/ithout a queen but with a 

 fair amount of brood to which I added some larvae from other 

 nests. The ants accepted the foreign brood without objection, 

 as well as the larvae of L. alcon from the previous very few 

 ants with which they had so far lived, few, as some had escaped, 

 my improvised nest not bemg at first altogether ant-proof. 



The new ants mstantly attacked ants of thèse first nests 

 when allowed to meet them, but accepted the alcon at once, so 

 that thèse could hâve no scent, or other badge of belonging to 

 the earlier nests. 



Sept. lôth. The alcon, 2 m each nest, are always amongst 

 the brood, gênerai ly at the edge, rather than in the midst and 

 seem to receive little attention from the ants. They look well, 

 but hâve not grown markedly at ail. Larvae not with the ants 

 hâve ail died. 



When the ants move their brood, they carry the alcon larvae 

 along just as they do their own larvae and pupae, not seizing 

 them in any spécial way. In the case of L. arion, the Lycaena 

 larvae were left alone and found their own way after the brood 

 nest when it was removed. 



Sept. lyth. The four larvae (2 in each nest) hâve distinctly 

 grown measuring 4.5 mm. long instead of 3.0 mm. when they 



