A FEW NOTES ON MYRMECOPHILOUS COLEOPTERA. 178 



with the same two species of ants. Wasmann records it with F. nifa 

 from January to December, but with Ladus fulu/inosus from April to 

 October or December. I have taken it with F. mfa in January, May 

 and June, and with L. fuliginosm in April and May. Atejiicles 

 emarginatus has been recorded with Mynnica scabrinodis, laevmocUs and 

 ni;jinodis; Formica fusca and F. nifa with us. According to Wasmann 

 it goes in February from Myrmica to Forinica, where the larvae are bred, 

 and in summer or autumn the newly-hatched beetles go from Foiivica to 

 Mynnica, Avhere they pass the winter. Staplujlinn^ atcrcorariiis is recorded 

 by Mr. Walker as occurring with Mynnica ruyinodis at Eannoch {Fnt. 

 Mo. May., February, 1900). Fowler mentions " a fine series taken by 

 Mr. Bold in nest of a Mynnica" [Col. Brit. Isles, ii., p. 251) and I 

 have twice taken it with Lasins Jiacns. I am of opinion that it should 

 be considered to be a Myrmecophilous insect, and it is just a question 

 whether it should not be placed in Class III of the table, instead of 

 Class IV, where I have put it. Of course it is difficult to lay down a 

 hard and fast rule, aiid several species might be placed in either of two 

 classes. 



Medon hicolor, 01. — Of this insect, Fowler says [I.e., p. 318) 

 •■• We also appear to possess as British the closely allied species M. 

 hicnlor, 01. The differences, however, between this and the preceding 

 (M. nu'lanocephalns, F.) are so slight that it Avould hardly seem to be 

 more than a variety ; it is proportionally broader and a little more 

 thickly punctured, and the head is a little less parallel ; these diffe- 

 rences, however, are extremely slight ; the elytra are very slightly 

 longer, and the head and thorax are evidently more thickly punctured 

 at the sides. This species or variety appears to be rather uncommon 

 on the continent ; it occurs under stones and moss in company with 

 ants ; there are specimens in Dr. Power's collection, from the London 

 district w'hieh seem to agree Avith descriptions of this insect, and it 

 may be somewhat widely distributed in the midland and southern 

 districts." I have examined the specimens in the Power collection, 

 which certainly bear out Avhat Canon Fowler says. I have a specimen 

 Avhich I took in a nest of Lasius flavus at Eastbourne, which thoroughly 

 agrees with them. It will be seen in the table that Dale records it 

 with Lasi (IS flavus and Myrmica ruyi)iodis. 



(Jlaviyer testaceus, Preyss. — I took several specimens of this beetle 

 in a nest of Lasiiis cdicnus at Blackgang, Isle of Wight. This is the 

 first record here of it occurring with this ant. 



On reading the description of how CossypJiodes heivicJdihehihYed when 

 mixed up with a number of the ants with which it occurs (see The Liuests 

 of Ants and Termites, ante., p. 89), I Avas struck with what I had observed 

 of thehabitsof the "ladybird," < 'occineUadistincta, ^vhichoccumwith For- 

 mica nifa. At Weybridge, where the beetle is fairly common, when it was 

 walking about among too many of the ants on the hillocks, it would now 

 and again duck down flat as described of CossyjjJtodes. I introduced into 

 the nests some of the common Coccinella l-imnctata from Avhich C 

 distincta differs very slightly. The ants which had paid no attention to 

 L'. distincta endeavoured to attack C.l-jninctata. The latter ducked down 

 also, and as the legs and antennas in the Coccinellidae can be packed 

 close to the body, the ants had nothing to lay hold of, their jaws 

 shpping off the smooth surface of the elytra. When unmolested again 

 the beetle walked on a little, and eventually got away. I am now sure 



