508 ' THE INSECT WORLD, 



time surrounded with an impenetrable veil of mystery, but the 

 researches of Newport in England, and of M. Fabre (of Avignon) ir 

 France, brought to light several extremely curious phases, undei 

 which are accomplished the metamorphoses of the Melo'e cicatricosiis 

 and of the Sitaris hwneralis, a species which belongs to the samt 

 family.* These observations, of which we are about to give a rapic 

 summary, will probably help towards unravelling the first states o: 

 Cantharis. 



The Sitaris hiimeralis (Fig. 545) takes no nourishment wher 

 arrived at the perfect state. When the female has been impregnated 

 she lays at the entrance of the nest of a solitary bee from 2,000 tc 

 3,000 small whitish eggs, stuck together in shapeless masses, 

 month afterwards there come out of these eggs very small larvae, o 

 a shiny dark green, hard-skinned, armed with strong jaws, and lont 



Fig- 547' — Pseudo-nymph Fig. 548.— Third larva of Sitaris Fig. 549. — Pupa of Sitari: 



of Sitaris humeralis. hunieraUs. humeralis. 



legs and antennae (Fig. 546). These are the first larvae. They remair 

 motionless, and without taking food, till the following spring. A 

 this period are hatched the male bees, which precede the appearance 

 of the females by a month. As the bees come out of their nests 

 these larvae hook themselves on to their hairs, and pass then 

 to the- females, at the coupling period. When the male beef 

 have built the cells, and furnished them with honey, the female, aj 

 we know, deposits in each an egg. Immediately the larvae of the Sitari. 

 let themselves fall on these eggs, open them, and suck their contents 

 Then they change their skin, and the second larva appears. Thi^ 

 one gets into the honey, on which it feeds for six weeks. It is blind 

 whereas the first larva was provided with four eyes, no doubt tc 

 enable it to see the bees which were to serve as its conductors, in like 



* ** Armales des Sciences Naturelles," 1857, 46 serie, tome vii., p. 300. 



