parasites in Nest of Bomhvs dcrhamelhis. 101 



but he considers that, the larvae of Ajjhiochaeta and of 

 Phora are in general saprophagons, feeding especially on 

 dead insects and snails. There are several published 

 records of their being ])red from the bodies of other in- 

 sects, but it is doubtful whether any of these were cases 

 of true parasitism, and whether the insects from which 

 they were bred were not already decomposing (16, pp. 61-()2 

 and 79-80). Be this as it may, Mr. Donisthorpe has 

 recorded the rearing of 4 examples of Aphiochaeta rata 

 from larvae which came out of the body of a Clerid beetle, 

 Thanasimus formicarius, taken in Sherwood Forest (8). 

 He also found one specimen in an observation nest of 

 Formica exsecta (9, p. 61; 10, p. 280). Mr. Collin tells 

 me that he has seen specimens bred from a nest of Vespn 

 norvegica by Mr. C. Nicholson of Chingford in 1915. 



From another puparium of the AphiocJiaeta, found in 

 the nest of B. derhameUus and isolated, there emerged 

 some time between Aug. 18 and Sept. 1, 1918, a female 

 of the Braconid (Alysiid) parasite, Orthostigma pumilmn, 

 determined by Mr. R. E. Turner. It has been bred from 

 other Phoridae. The Cambridge Museum contains a 

 series bred from puparia of Aphiochaeta rtifipes Meigen, 

 which were found in a vase in a house at Parkhead, near 

 Sheffield, Juno 1910 (in this case the flies were identified 

 by Mr. F. J. H. Jenkinson and the parasites by Mr. G. T. 

 Lyle). T. A. Marshall (17, p. 373) mentions that the 

 parasite was bred in multitudes from Aphiochaeta, rufipes 

 by Ratzeburg in 1840.* 



IV. Antherophagus pallens.f 



The only representatives of this Cryptophagid beetle 

 found in the nest were three larvae, one of which was 



* In 1919 these two species oiA2)hiorJi(i.elaw('veionndinH[uenting 

 tlie burrows of a solitary wasp, Cnihio (•(i.ri/'ru>i.'< Tlioms., in an elm 

 log at Grantchester, Cambridge. On Aiiu,. Hi a ',' A. riifij^es was 

 taken flying about the log. On Aug. 22 a (^ A. rata was seen by 

 Mr. (J. Warburton to enter one of the burrows : it remained inside 

 about Ave minutes and was caught on emerging. Mr. J. E. Collin 

 determined both flies. 



f Fowler refers to this species as " A. pattens Gyll." Ganglbaucr 

 (12, p. 704) gives "pattens Oliv.," adding references to Hevbst, 

 Erichson, 8turm, Thomson, and Reitter, but not to Gyllenhal. 

 Reitter (Fauna Germanica, Kafer, iii, p. 58, 1911) also has "' jmllens 

 Oliv." Gemminger and Harold (iii, 1868, p. 882) have ''pattens 

 Fabr.," and add references to Olivier, Gyllenhal, and Sturm. I 

 have not tried to decide which is strictly correct. 



