THE MYRMECOPHILOUS COLEOPTERA 

 OF GREAT BRITAIN* 



The coleopterous inhabitants of ants' nests may be roughly divided into 

 three classes : (1) the true guests of the ants ; (2) the " hostile persecuted 

 lodgers," species which are antagonistic to, and are attacked by, the ants ; 

 and (3) the indifTerently treated lodgers — those which are tolerated, or not 

 noticed. There are also many species of beetles which have been recorded 

 with ants, but are only chance visitors to the nests, being generally found 

 under other circumstances. 



(1) Of the first of these classes we possess four species, one Claviger, two 

 species of Atemeles, and Lomechusa strumosa, although perhaps Ampliotis 

 marginata may be considered one, as it is fed by the ants with which it lives. 

 I have bred it in my observation nest of Lasms fuliginosus and have seen it 

 fed by its hosts. The true guests possess patches of yellow hairs on certain 

 parts of the body, from whence the ants obtain a sweet secretion, and often 

 have a broad, short tongue, and aborted palpi, which shows they are also fed 

 by their hosts. It has been stated that if Claviger was removed from one nest 

 to another it would be attacked and killed. This, however, I have shoAvn to be 

 erroneous, and all my experiments | tend to show that beetles which are only 

 found in ants' nests are tolerated, or else are able to defend themselves for a 

 time in any ants' nest. It was also believed that Claviger, which is blind, could 

 not feed itself, bixt this is also incorrect, as, though it is fed by the ants, it has 

 been proved to feed on the ants' larvae, and on dead flies killed by the ants. I 

 have observed that the Clavigers in my observation nests of Lasius flaviis 

 generally sat on, or among the larvae of the ants, and that they ate the eggs., 

 and larvae, and dead ants, as well as insects given to the ants. They are also 

 very fond of riding on the ants, especially on the qixeens. Professor Alfred 

 Hetschko kept some alive a long time, away from ants, by feeding them on 

 dead flies. 



The life history of Lomechusa strumosa is of great interest. t It is both 

 fed and licked by its hosts, Formica sanguinea. I have found, however, 

 that it Avill also feed on honey and dead larvae, given to the ants, and have 

 even seen it bite live caterpillars. The copulation of this beetle, Mliich is 

 very extraordinary, has been recorded by me for the first time, I believe. 

 The male faces the back of the female, and pushing his head under her body, 



* Bv H. St J. K. Donisthorpc. 



t Ent. Record. 1901, p. 349; 1903, p. 11; 1906, p. 288, &c. 

 X Trans. Ent. Soc. I;ond., Pt. IV (Feb. 1908), pp. 415-420, with woodcuts. 



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