COLEOPTEEA. 



499 



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

 nests, these larvae hook themselves on to their hairs, and pass from 

 them to the females, at the coupling period. When the male 

 bees have built the cells, and furnished them with honey, the 

 female, as we know, deposits in each an egg. Immediately 



Fig. 543. Sitaris humeralis. 



Fig. 544. First larva of Sitaris humeralis 

 (magnified.) 



the larvae of the Sitaris let themselves fall on these eggs, 

 open them and suck their contents. Then they change their 

 skin, and the second larva appears. This 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 to enable it to see 



Fig. 545. Pseudo-nymph 

 of Sitaris humeralis. 



Fig. 546. Third larva of Sitaris 

 humeralis. 



Fig. 547. Pupa of Sitaris 

 humeralis. 



the bees which were to serve as its conductors, in like manner as 

 the companions of Ulysses watched the sheep of Polyphemus, so 

 as to escape out of the cave in which they were retained as prisoners. 

 A few days later, and this second larva contracts, and detaches 

 from its body a transparent skin, which discloses a mass, at first 



K K 2 



