THE GUESTS OF ANTS AND TERMITES. 147 



melanclla) for Epping Forest, but no species of Solenohia nor Fumeid ; 

 probably F. casta was omitted because of the dijfficulty of assigning a 

 correct name in those days of confusion amongst " inter me didla," 

 " roboricolella," a,nd the rest of them; I have a distinct recollection 

 also of seeing a Proutia in Mr. Machin's collection a short time before 

 his death, and of his stating to me his conviction that it was a separate 

 species, but I cannot say whether the species in question was or was 

 not from Epping Forest. 



The Guests of Ants and Termites {n-ith Plate). 



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

 {Continued from p. 119.) 



The localities where this insect had so far been discovered were also 

 given, namely, Nicaragua, Costa Eica, Panama, Columbia, Cayenne 

 and Brazil, to Eio de Janeiro. The biological note was as follows : 

 " Though this wonderful insect is widely distributed, it seems to be a 

 very rare species, as so few examples have been found. Its life-history 

 is unknown, but the late Mr. Belt told me that he had generally found 

 it on ant-hills." I then looked up Belt's Xaturalist in Xicarai/ua, 

 and on p. 84 found the statement, that a large species of Staphy- 

 linns lived in the Atta nests of Nicaragua. There was hardly a doubt 

 that the Atta guest spoken of by Belt was the same as the one before 

 me. The logical chain of evidence was concluded a posteriori, and my 

 supposition was confirmed. According to the accepted laws of nomen- 

 clature laid down by the German Zoological Society, this beetle 

 should be named Stnilax pilosns, F., since Smila.v was the generic name 

 given to it by Laporte. Nordmann changed it later to Cordylaspis, as 

 there is a plant called Smilax. It is quite true that the same name 

 must not be used twice in Zoology, but a botanical name has nothing 

 to do with a zoological one, therefore, the beetle must be again called 

 Smila.v. This beetle was described by Fabricius in his Mantissa 

 Inscctonim, 1787, as StapliyUmis pilosus, but a whole century has elapsed 

 before it has been discovered to be a true ant guest. Belt' gives as a 

 reason for its appearance on these ant-hills that its larva feeds on the 

 decaying leaves of which the sloping Atta nests are constructed, but this 

 is very unlikely, as the larvte of the Staphylinidae are carnivorous. 

 Bates also found the insect in Brazil, but never mentioned its connection 

 with ants. The fact that Smila.v pilosus has so far only been found 

 singly can be explained by its being a true Atta guest. Atta se.rdens, 

 Ij. , cephcdotes, 1j. ,ferrens, Lay, and columbica, Guer., only can be its 

 hosts on account of its great size, and these make gigantic nests which 

 stretch underground for many miles, their population consisting of 

 hundreds of thousands and even millions of big-headed worker-ants, 

 which are so well armed that their bite draws blood. It is, therefore, 

 very difficult to search their nests, and for that reason one can under- 

 stand why so little is known of their guests. Whoever cares to search 

 for Smila.v pilosus among these species of Atta will undoubtedly find it 

 in large numbers. 



The biological divisions of the genuine ant and termite guests can 

 be divided into four classes according to the diflerent kinds of intercourse 

 which exist between them and their hosts. 



