106 Dr. H. 8cc)tt's Notes on biology of smnc vrupiiUnes aiul 



pupate. Others Avere isolated in liglitly covered glass vessels con- 

 taining some litter from the nest and moist sawdust. Three of 

 these excavated cells in the sawdust, in the angle formed by the 

 sides and bottom of the vessel, so that they could be seen through 

 the glass. The cells were not lined with any secretion.* Aug. 6, 

 these three larvae were lying, slightly curved, on their backs in 

 their cells. Aug. 7, larvae on their sides or on the ventral surface. 

 Aug. 8, one had pupated : this pupa was killed and preserved. 

 Of the other two larvae, one pupated during the night Aug, 9-10, 

 the other between Aug. 10 and 12. The pupae lay at first on the 

 ventral surface, but on Aug. 1.3 one, which had the dark pigment 

 of the eyes already showing, had moved on to its side. I was 

 absent from London from Aug. 17 to Sept. 1, during which time 

 Mr. K. 0. Blair kindly took charge of the pupae, and noted as 

 follows: — both had the wings and jaws dark on Aug. 19; the 

 beetles had emerged on Aug. 20 and 21 respectively, but were still 

 in their pupal cells up to Aug. 31. On my return on Sept. 2 I 

 found them out of their cells, walking about and readily " feigning 

 death." They are both female. 



Other reeords of occwrence in hinnhle-bees^ nests. — The 

 record of many larvae being found in a nest of Bombus 

 lurorum has been already mentioned (11). Sladen (20, 

 p. 78, footnote) includes the species among the beetles 

 found by him in nests of humble-bees. Tuck (22, 1896, 

 p. 154) records it from nests of Bombus agrorum,, B. sylva- 

 nnn, and B. latreillelus, stating that he once took over 60 

 examples of the adult in a nest of the last. 



Biological notes on other species of Epuraea. — E. depressa 

 is not the only member of the genus taken fiom nests of 

 Hymenoptera. Tuck (22) records E. obsoleta f from nests 

 of Vespa vnlgaris. Perris (18) states that the larvae 

 of E. obsoleta Fabr., live in fermenting sap under the bark 

 of pine and oak stumps, and that the majority pupate in 

 the soil, but a few in the less sappy places under the bark. 

 Perris and Tuck refer to the subjects of their respective 

 observations by the same name. If their determinations 



* The larvae of Anfherophagtis also made unlined cells in a 

 similar situation. The angle of the glass was a favourite place 

 for pupation with some larvae of Necrobia ruficollis which I had 

 under observation; but their cells are lined. See Ann. Applied 

 Biology, vi, pp. 101-115, 1919. 



t E. ol)sntpM is considered by Grouvelle (15, p. 120) to be a 

 synonym of E. unicotor, Oliv, 



