Prcdaceous Insects and their Prey. 369 



Especially is this true of the female, which with a red 

 band across the abdomen, strongly suggests the appear- 

 ance of a large group (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond,, 1904, pp. 

 647, 648) of similarly banded Aculeates. Out of 29 

 Aculeate victims three belonged to the group in question, 

 — Pompilus viaticus, S])hccodes gibhus, and Ammophila 

 liirsuta. All three were captured by female Asilids. 

 With the exception of a single Bonihis these three victims 

 are the most conspicuously marked of all the prey of 

 D. diadema, and the most suitable models for mimetic re- 

 semblance. (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1904, pp. 661-662.) 



Beniaining genera of the Dasypogoninse. 



Of these there is not much to be said, inasmuch as the 

 number of records is insufiicient to justify conclusions as 

 to preferences. Especially is this the case with Saro'jjogon, 

 Nos. 56, 57, and Isopogon, No. QQ ; while the three exam- 

 ples of a single species of Tipulid prey seized by the bee- 

 like Lasiopogon einctus, Nos. 76-78, were all observed in 

 the same locality and at nearly the same time. How- 

 ever, so far as it goes the evidence certainly suggests a 

 mainly Dipterous diet for this latter species. The seven or 

 eight victims recorded for the genus Ificrostyhtm, Nos. 

 58-65, indicate comprehensive tastes ; including 8 beetles, 

 2 or 3 Cicadas (or possibly a Vespid), 1 grasshopper and 1 

 Asilid fly. The huge MicrostyluTn dux appears to be an 

 Aculeate mimic. Stenopogon, Nos. 67-69, twice captured 

 the specially protected Mclyridie among the Coleoptera, 

 and once a well-defended bug, Thyanta. In Sclcropogon, 

 Nos. 71-73, alone among the Dasypogoninm,\^e meet with 

 the record of a butterfly victim, a species of the distasteful 

 sub-family Banainse,. The two remaining captures recorded 

 for this genus are Asilid flies. One of these offers an 

 example — so far unique — of a female Asilid preying upon 

 another female of the same species. The two species of 

 Damalina, Nos. 74, 75, are probably specialized foes of the 

 Dammar-bees {Melip)ona), and both are beautiful mimics 

 of their victims. The two tabulated examples support 

 this conclusion, but further observation is greatly wanted. 

 Colonel C. T. Bingham, to whom we owe both the records, 

 has however recorded that flies of this genus " persist- 

 ently hover round the nest-mouth of the dammar bees, 

 and catch the latter on the wing as they issue from the 

 nest." (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1902, p. 336.) 



