456 ABNORMAL COLEOPTERA. [StljlopS. 



chanters arc elongate and the tarsi are four-jointed with the last joint 

 emarginate at apex ; the female is larviform. 



The full-grown larvse of Stylops are nearly cylindrical fleshy grubs, 

 about a quarter of an inch long, of a whito colour, with the head distinct 

 and flattened, and attached to the body by a neck ; the head is not at 

 this time furnished with distinct mandibles, but appears only to be 

 provided with several small elevated tubercles, behind which is a trans- 

 verse impression : Professor Westwood, who points out these facts, is 

 inclined to agree with Mr. Kirby that the larva feeds by absorption. 



Mr. Dale, who has been by far the most fortunate Entomologist as far 

 as this group is concerned, thus relates his observations regarding Stylops; 

 they have already been quoted by Curtis and Westwood but may with 

 advantage be repeated : " Every specimen of Andrena barbilabris I have 

 seen this year (1827), from the 27th April to the 4th June, has con- 

 tained larvae, pupa?, or exuviae of Stylops, from one to throe in each. 

 On the 5th May I picked out one with a pin, on the 7th another 

 rather immature, and caught one flying in the hot sunshine over a quick- 

 set hedge in the garden ; it looked milk-white on the wing, with a jet 

 black body, and totally unlike anything else ; it flew with an undulating 

 or vacillating motion amongst the young shoots, and I could not catch 

 it till it settled on one, when it ran up and down, its wings in motion, 

 and making a considerable buzz or hum nearly as loud as a Sesia : it 

 twisted about its rather long tail, and turned it up like a Staphylinm. I 

 put it under a glass and placed it in the sun ; it became quite furious 

 in its confinement, and never ceased running about for two hours. The 

 elytra or processes were kept in quick vibration as well as the wings ; it 

 buzzed about the sides of the glass, with its head touching it, and tumbled 

 about on its back. By putting two bees (A Idbialis) under a glass in 

 the sun, two Stylops were produced ; the bees seemed uneasy and went 

 up towards them, but evidently with caution, as if to fight, and moving 

 their antennae towards them, retreated. I once thought the bee attempted 

 to seize one, but the oddest thing was to see the Stylops get on the 

 body of the bee and ride about, the latter using every eifort to throw 

 his rider. A large hole is left in the tail of the bee when Stylops escapes, 

 which closes up after a time. I have found five species of Andrenre 

 infested." 



Professor Westwood (I.e. p. 299) adds that the bees were quite mad 

 immediately before the Stylops came out, and that when on the body of 

 the bee the Stylops kept its wings still and half erect ; the males of the 

 species of Xenos and Elenchus appear to be equally active and rapid 

 in their movements ; this property would appear to be very necessary 

 for the union of the male and female on the body of a rapidly moving 

 bee or wasp ; as remarked by Mr. Dale, the bees seem unable to shake 

 off the parasite when it has obtained a firm footing ; this it is probably 

 enabled to do by means of the membranous lobes of the tarsi, although 

 the absence of tarsal claws would seem to be a disadvantage. 



