TRANSACTIONS 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



LONDON 



For the Year 1905. 



I. The Life History of Gerydus chinensis, Felder. By 

 John C. W. Kershaw, F.L.S., F.E.S. 



[Read November 16th, 1904.] 



Plate I. 



Although the imago of Gerydus chinensis is peculiar, 

 with its very long body and broad, flattened legs, yet its 

 early stages are still more curious. The butterfly is fairly 

 common throughout the year in certain localities near 

 Macao and Hongkong, but it keeps more or less strictly to 

 these shady and usually damp places, and is to a certain 

 extent crepuscular, though it is also on the wing during 

 the day. 



It lays its eggs towards evening and till night fairly sets 

 in, on stems and leaves of plants and trees infested with 

 Aphides or Hemiptera and overrun by a host of ants of two 

 species (Polyrrhachis dives, Sin., and Doliehoderus bitu- 

 berculatus, Mayr.), both Aphides and ants apparently feeding 

 on juice exuding from the plant. Any vegetation subject 

 to these secretions seems to be attractive to them, the ants 

 not appearing to use the Aphides as ant-cows, though of 

 this 1 am not quite certain. The Aphides swarm so thickly 

 that the plant-stem or leaf is invisible, and, barring heavy 

 rain, they are as a whole stationary for days together, 

 though slowly changing their positions individually, and 

 going through various transformations, fresh lots continu- 



trans. ent. soc. lond. 1905. — PART I. (may) 1 



