MYRMECOPHILOUS NOTES FOR 1915. 35 
nest on the same day, is still alive (to-day December 24th, 1915) in 
my new wbrata nest. On August 26th last, when all the old wnbrata 
% 8 had died, and only the fuliginosa @ and the Amphotis were left 
alive, the beetle and the ant were observed tapping antenne and, 
apparently vainly, mutually asking each other to be fed. I have fre- 
quently seen the beetle fed by the old 8 8. When introduced into 
the new nest on August 27th it was not taken much notice of, but 
settled down at once. and has been quite at home ever since. 
Coccinella distincta, Fald.—In May and June a number of examples 
of this “ Lady-Bird ”’ were found on and about the hillock of a colony 
of Formica rufa at Woking. Some of the specimens possess an extra 
small shoulder-spot—these are the var. domiduca, Weise. This variety, 
as far as I am aware, has not been recorded by name for Britain before, 
but it is evidently the var. 7. of Stephens of C. septempunctata [Mand., 
A, 380 (1881)|. I have found it also at Bexhill and in the Blean 
Woods on nests of Formica rufa. The form usually found in Britain 
appears to be the var. magnifica, Redtb., with the same number of spots 
as in U. septempunctata. Although I have found this beetle freely in 
many localities I do not appear to have taken the so-called type form 
in which the first spot fails. 
Olythra quadripunctata, L.—The larval cases of this beetle occurred 
in numbers in rufa nests at Abbot’s Wood on September 29th. 
Leprpoptera: Lycaena arion, L.—On July 2nd I dug up a large 
colony of Mlyrmica scabrinodis which was situated in a sandy bank on 
Barnes Common. It consisted of a small, very dark (nearly black) 
queen, a large number of typical ¥ 3, larve, and 8 and sex pupe. 
These were all introduced into a large “ Crawley-Lubbock” nest, where 
the ants soon excavated chambers and winding passages in the sandy 
soil, with pillars at the entrances. On August 4th Dr. Chapman 
brought me two avion larve, and one of these we introduced into one 
of the doors of the-nest. Later in the day I pushed tbe other larva in 
at the other door by means of a piece of string. A ¥% meeting it, 
seized it and carried it into a chamber in the nest, where it was soon 
surrounded by a number of 8 8, who tapped it with their antenne, 
climbing all over it, but did not hurt it. 
August 5th.—The first larva had come out of the nest during the 
night; I forced it to go back and blocked it in with some sand. The 
second larva was in a side gallery with one 8% in attendance. Hggs 
had been laid by the queen, which were carried about by 8 8. 
August 6th.—Only one arion larva to be seen, resting in the largest 
chamber with all the brood and most of the ants; it had certainly 
increased in size. 
August 11th.—The larva was still in the large chamber with the 
brood covered by the ants; when the nest is uncovered, the ants rush 
off with the brood, leaving the arion larva exposed. It then commences 
to move slowly. . 
August 18th.—Arion larva nearly twice its original size; in its 
usual position. It was observed up to August 18th, when I measured 
it with a micro-millimeter placed above it on the glass roof-pane. It 
measured 9:‘Omm., as against 5°Omm. when first introduced. After 
