THE GUESTS OF ANTS AND TERMITES. 117 



became common. Larvas of Gnophos rarieiiata were found on rocks at 

 several places, and an imago was found at Ascona on the 18th. On 

 April 7th a stout little Oreopsychid [probably Ptilocepliala atra [plumi- 

 fera)] was found flying at Luino. 



The snow was very low on the hills round the lake, some 2000ft. 

 lower than at similar dates last year. On the 17th I went to the top 

 of the hill behind Locarno, some 4000ft. above the lake, the last 500ft. 

 over last winter's snow, still lying 2ft. deep and upwards, where I last 

 year took Hercijna schmnkiana, flying freely in the sun, a week earlier. 

 My desire, therefore, to make a good bag of larvae and pupae of the 

 Fumeas was entirely defeated, as I was three weeks or a month too 

 soon at each place. To some extent this was recompensed by finding- 

 cases of Acanthopsyche opacella freely at Locarno, as well as of Stcmd- 

 fussia zermattensis, as also of a Solenobia, with very large triangular 

 case and definitely parthenogenetic habits. Luifiia inagyidla (n. sp.) 

 cases were also found at various spots in the Val Maggia. These 

 various Psychids will, I hope, aflbrd material for fuller observations. 

 I may, however, note that even in this late season Acanthopsyche 

 opacella must have been emerging for some time before April 10th, 

 though larvffi are still unchanged on April 27th. 8. zermattensis was 

 emerging on 15th, and obviously had been for some days, whilst half- 

 grown larvae could still be found. 



The Guests of Ants and Termites {mth Plate). 



By E. WASMANN, S.J. (translated by H. DONISTHOEPE, F.Z.S., F.E.S.). 

 {Continued, from p. 89.) 



The instincts of the ant guests are, moreover, in harmony with the 

 structure of their bodies. Whereas a Loinechiisa, or an Atemeles, places 

 itself in front of the ants with widespread legs and rolled-up abdomen, 

 and taps them with its antenna as if it knew it was irresistible and 

 attractive as a rightful guest, a Dinarda ducks down at sight of an ant 

 and presents its rapidly moving pointed abdomen, as if to say, " Hold 

 me tight if you can." 



The Loiiiechusa group in the Staphylinidae comprises in the Old 

 World the genera Loniechusa and Atemeles, and the genus Xenodttsa in 

 the New World. They all possess a very broad body, a concave thorax 

 bent up at the edges, and an abdomen rolled up to an abnormal 

 position, on the sides of which big yellow tufts of hair are situated. 

 The mouthparts also possess a short broad tongue, and more or less 

 shortened palpi. It is only after observing the habits of Lomechusa 

 striunosa, F., Atemeles emanjinatiis, Payk., paradoxus, Grv., and pubicollis, 

 Bris., for fifteen years that I have been able to determine that these 

 peculiarities are connected with the true intercourse of hospitality. 

 These beetles are fed from the mouths of their hosts, and are licked by 

 them with great pleasure, especially on their tufts of yellow hair. ISIo 

 one, therefore, can doubt that Lomechusa minor, Ettr., from Thibet, 

 L. amurensis, Wasm. (plate, fig. 3) from Amurland, and L. monyolica, 

 Wasm., from northern Mongolia, are true ant guests, and that their 

 intercourse with ants is the same as that of our L. strumosa with 

 Formica sanyuinea, though no one has so far closely observed the life 

 habits of these three Asiatic species of Lomechusa. In the same way 



