MUTILLA EUROP^EA. 39 



of the globe, but they are met with in all countries from the 

 torrid to the frigid zones ; Mutilla frigida was brought by Sir 

 John Richardson from the Great Bear Lake in Arctic America. 



Of the habits of the typical species, M. Drewsen of Copen- 

 hagen gives the following account*. From a nest of Bombus 

 Scrimshiranus he obtained only two worker bees, but as many as 

 seventy-six of Mutilla Europ&a forty -four males and thirty-two 

 females. The larvae of the Mutilla were found in the cells, closed 

 in as usual by the full-fed grub of the bee : this appears to prove 

 that the genus Mutilla is parasitic, and that it is carnivorous in 

 the larva state, for the cells contained the full-grown grub of the 

 parasite only. 



Christius also mentions the fact of the Iarva3 of Mutilla being 

 found in the nests of Humble-bees. Such being the habit of this 

 extensive genus, it is proved that their attacks cannot be con- 

 fined to Humble-bees. These insects are not found either in 

 Australia or in tropical Africa, yet Mutilla is plentiful in both ; 

 in Brazil the Mutillidce abound, but Bombus appears to be only 

 sparingly distributed. In this country the species of Mutilla are 

 scarce ; and it appears strange that no one should have met with 

 them in the nests of Humble-bees, which have been so frequently 

 examined. 



Amongst the numerous species of this genus, particularly those 

 of South America, repeated instances occur of a wide divergence 

 from the typical species : many of the males have the eyes large, 

 very prominent, and ovate ; others present remarkable differences 

 in the form of the cells of the anterior wings, and would perhaps 

 conveniently form types for subgeneric divisions ; the males of 

 many Brazilian species appear to have simple eyes at least they 

 exhibit no traces of reticulation when examined under a glass 

 of considerable magnifying power. 



1. Mutilla Europsea. 



Fwmina. Nigra; thorace rufo ; abdomine fasciis tribus albis, 



duabus posticis interruptis. 

 Mas. Chalybeus; thorace rufo; abdomine fasciis tribus albis 



subinterruptis. 



Mutilla Europaea, Linn. Faun. Suec. no. 1727 ; Syst. Nat. i. 966. 

 4?. 



Sulz. Gesch. Ins. t. 27. f. 23 <? , 24 ? . 

 Schrank, Ins. Austr. p. 415. 839. 



* See Journal of Ent. Soc. of Stettin, 1817, p. 210. 



