392 



mosses on the trunks of the trees, their nsnal and apparently- 

 proper habitat seemed to be on the moss-mats on the branches^ 

 for here were to l)e found both hirvac and pn])ae. 



These moss-mats furnish food for a number of lepido])ter-; 

 ous larvae, among- them Scoparia hucoJica and Scoparia dac- 

 fylio pa and a new and as vet undeseribed species of MestoJohes. 

 Other lepidopterous larvae also shelter themselves in these mats I 

 either in intervals of feeding- oi' for uioulting and pu])ation. 

 It is probable that these form the major part of the food of 

 these beetles and their larvae. 



Adults showed surprising hardiness upon being brought 

 down into the summer temperatures of the coast region, re- 

 maining alive Avith but little attention froui late July until 

 the end of September in uioss enclosed in a tightly covered 

 tumbler, devouring ant larvae and pupae j^laced with them. 

 The pupae In-ought down, however, were not very successful 

 in completing their transformation. 



BroKcoinjmus optafiis is described as lacking ])rothoracic 

 setae and this is true of a few of the individuals taken, l)ut 

 the great majority of about a hundred taken have a seta on 

 the posterior angles. 



In this connection it is ])erhaps worth while to record 

 taking several individuals at various times of the closely re- 

 lated Derol)rosciis pollfns from the type locality on Lanihuli 

 Ridge in the Koolau ^Mountains and from the parallel ridges 

 bounding the adjacent Kalihi and Xuuanu valleys. Part of 

 these were taken in small moss-mats and others in small (•a\i- 

 ties in low dead trees. 



