PEOCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 941 



fields of California — another example of hardy constitution to which 

 we have as yet no parallel in India. 



Wet places, especially wet sandy patches in beds of streams or muddy 

 patches along roadsides, are often very attractive to butterflies ui dry 

 weather and may sometimes be seen literally carpeted with these insects 

 sucking up the moisture. In such cases, it is often noticeable that each 

 species keeps to itself. 



Marshy places have a special flora to which some insects are attached. 

 For example, the larva of Buclieria paliidicola feeds on Drosera (" sun- 

 dew ") and the imago of this little Plume-moth may be taken in the 

 evening hi and around marshy places where Drosera is growing abun- 

 dantly. 



Dry, sandy places, such as the beds of rivers during the dry season, 

 yield many insects, amongst which species of Cicindela are conspicu- 

 ously plentiful. The sandy seashore also has its special fauna, and 

 Cicindela biraruosa, for example, is never found at any distance from 

 a sandy beach. 



The presence oj ants in numbers on plants is generally a sure sign 

 of the presence of other insects which they are attending, such insects 

 iticludhig Lycsenid larva3, Coccids, Aleyrodids, Membracids, etc. Many 

 insects also are predacious or parasitic on Coccids, etc., and theSe also 

 should not be overlooked. 



. Ants' nests contain numerous myrmecophilous insects (principally 

 beetles) rarely found except by searchiag these nests. Termites' nests 

 also contain termitophilous CoUembola, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and 

 other insects amongst which may be mentioned ' the curious wingless 

 Phorid flies belonging to the genus Termitoxenia. The nests of the 

 social spiders of the genus Stegodyphus harbour small Gelechiad moths, 

 and nests of vertebrate animals often contain fleas and other parasites 

 of such animals and also insects feeding on the substance of the nests 

 themselves, from which they may be collected or bred out. 



Spiders' webs often repay examination as they are sometimes found 

 to contain undamaged specimens of uncommon insects. At least one 

 bug Uves normally in spiders' webs, being predaceous on the eggmaSses, 

 and spiders' eggs also have insect parasites. 



Bats have a pecuhar insect- fauna of which Uttle is known in India. 

 Flying-foxes are infested with peculiar wingless Nycteribiad flies of 

 the genus Cyclopedia, and Lyroderma carries small winged Streblid 

 flies and the rare and abnormal bug, Polyctenes lyrce. Other verte- 

 brate animals have of course their special parasitic insects, but those 

 of bats are of especial interest from a scientific view-point. 



