( xxxiii ) 



are those of Harpagomyia. 1 am in hopes, too, that I may 

 get ova of a very large mosquito, 1 think a ToxorhyncJiites, 

 at the same time, for I frequently see them near the tree. 

 They do not bite man, and I am wondering whether they 

 have anything to do with ants. I then had a look at some 

 Lycaenids (Epitolas, I think) feasting on Coccid secretions on 

 a shrub hard by the ant tree, the Coccids being Cremastogaster 

 attended. I noticed a few small Dipterous flies apparently 

 trying to get a share of the Coccid good things, but just then 

 decided that they didn't look very interesting. Hard by the 

 ant tree are one or two Funtumias (native rubber — Apo- 

 cynaceae), on the stems of which the ants also run about, and 

 on which I captured on previous evenings some of the Harpa- 

 gomyiae, ' in flagrante delicto.' I thought I'd have a look at 

 that too, and to my surprise found quite a number of the 

 mosquitoes as busy as could be, 1 think more of them than 

 I have seen at dusk. I didn't leave the neighbourhood till 

 a little after noon, and they were still there. The place is 

 moderately shady, but by no means ' forest ' shade. I was 

 there again at three this afternoon, and they were still busy. 

 They are unquestionably day fliers [also observed by Jacob- 

 son] — like Stegomyia, curiously enough. But for the time 

 they became of secondary interest. For almost the first 

 thing I saw was a small fly [2 species of Milichia] apparently 

 ' chivying ' an unwilling ant in a very daring manner. The 

 ant stopped, apparently in despair of shaking off the impor- 

 tunate Dipteron. Immediately there occurred the usual 

 osculation which signifies that one ant is about to offer, or 

 at any rate part with, a drop of regurgitated food to another, 

 but in this case to the fly. At first I thought the fly might 

 be predaceous and was about to attack the ant much as a 

 Bengalia attacks the Driver pupa. When a Harpagomyia 

 solicits food of the ant it stands directly in front, but this 

 fly, having induced the ant to stop, or rather in order to 

 induce it to stop, comes up from the side, and the ant, if 

 willing to oblige, turns its head half round. The flies — for 

 I saw quite a number of them at it — frequently, having got 

 a little at one side, rush round to the other before the ant 

 has time to move away, and get a little more. They are 



PROC. ENT. SOC. LOND., Ill, IV. 1918. C 



