THE MYRMECOPHILOUS LADY-BIRD. 219 



26. iv. 1902: 22. ii. 1903: 13. v. 1906: 7. iv. 1908 : 9. v. 1908. 

 Bewdley, 31. v. 1908. Blean Woods, 22. vi. 1908. Wfey bridge, 

 5. vii. 1909. Bewdley, 22. vii. 1909. Woking, 21. v. 1913 : 4. vi. 1913. 

 Bewdley,?. vi. 1916. Weybridge, 8. vii. 1916 : 5. vi. 1918 : 3. vii. 1918 



27. viii. 1918 : 3. ix. 1918 : 18. ix. 1918: 9. x. 1918 : 14. xi. 1918 



28. xii. 1918: 27. i. 1919: 28. ii. 1919: 14. v. 1919: 21. v. 1919 

 30. V. 1919 : 25. vi. 1919 : 8. vii. 1919 : 11. vii. 1919 : 15. vii. 1919 

 24. vii. 1919 : 28. vii. 1919 : 12. viii. 1919 : 16. ix. 1919 

 18. X. 1919. 



In 1900 I^* pointed out that when C. distincta was walking about 

 among many ants on the hillocks at Weybridge, it would now and 

 again duck down flat. I introduced into the nests some of the com- 

 mon C. septempunctata ; the ants which had paid no attention to C. 

 distincta endeavoured to attack C. septempunctata. The latter ducked 

 down also, and as the legs and antennae in the Coccinellidae can be 

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

 jaws slipping off the smooth surface of the elytra. When unmolested 

 again the beetle walked on a little, and eventually got away I stated 

 that I was now sure that C. distincta belonged to the protected group 

 of Myrmecophilous Coleoptera, and that its larva no doubt fed on the 

 Aplddae and Coccidae that occur in the nests of Formica riifa. 



This is not the case with the larvae of O. distincta, as we shall sub- 

 sequently see. Wasmann^ s states that the ant species, with which it is 

 most frequently found {F'. rufa, etc.), do not keep any Aphidas or 

 Coccidae in their nests, but only seek such species to milk as occur 

 everywhere outside their nests. He is not quite correct in stating that 

 F. rufa keeps neither Aphids nor Coccids in its nests, as I have taken 

 of the former — Lachnns forinicophilus, a species discovered by me new 

 to science, and only known from such situations ; Schizoneura corni ; 

 and Aphis plantaginis ; and of the latter — Orthezia cataphracta ; and 

 Newsteadia floccosa in rufa nests. They do not, however, occur in any- 

 thing like sufficient numbers to serve as food for the Lady-Bird's 

 larvEe. 



Again, on April 21st, 1903^7, I made experiments with C. distincta 

 and its treatment by the ants. Having introduced a specimen, which 

 I had taken at Pamber Forest, into my observation-nest of F. rufa, the 

 ants were unable to seize it, its defence being to retract the legs and 

 antenna and duck down, when the ants' jaws slipped oS its shiny 

 elytra. When an ant was forced to take hold of the beetle's leg, it let 

 go at once. Another ant held on for some little time, dragging the 

 beetle about. The Lady-Bird remained motionless with all the other 

 legs retracted, and the yellow exudation, which is excreted by the 

 Coccinellidae, was very apparent. The ant then let go and appeared to 

 be very upset, walking round in circles, and was very languid for a 

 long time afterwards, the beetle walking away unhurt. 



The experiments with C. distincta and C. septem punctata were re- 

 peated last year (August 27th, 1918)3 9 in nature, for the benefit of Mr. 

 Blair, when he went with me to Weybridge, and he was much im- 

 pressed by them. Specimens of both species were placed on the rufa 

 hillocks among the ants. The former were only slightly attacked and 

 quickly got away, but the latter were vigorously assailed ; one specimen 

 had its leg seized by an ant, and only after some little time had 

 elapsed escaped with difficulty. 



