April, 1893.] " 77 



NEW OE LITTLE KNOWN COCCIDJi:, CHIEFLY ENGLISH, No. 3. 



13Y R. NEWSTEAD, P.E.S., 

 CURATOR, G-ROSVENOR MTJSEUM, CHESTER, 



RiPERSiA ToMLiNii, Newstead. 

 Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. iii, n. s., p 146, pi. ii, fig. 6, a, h. c. 

 When the description of this species was published (/. c.j, I was 

 unable to furnish the names of the ants in whose nest the Coccids 

 were found. On subsequently reading Mr. Smith's interesting remarks 

 on the " Origin of Ants' Nests " (Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. iii, pp. 60, 307), 

 I was all the more anxious to ascertain the name of the ants, and to 

 get a further supply of Coccids and information. The only course 

 open to me was to write the Secretary of the Gruernsey Nat. Hist. 

 Soc, to put me into communication with a Member who would be 

 willing to take the matter in hand. This I did, and Mr W. A. Luif 

 kindly offered his services, and on August 1st, 1892, forwarded two 

 specimens of the Ripersia, together with specimens of the ants as 

 they were found. 



Mr. Luff remarked " that they were found under a stone on the cliffs near 

 Moulin Huet Bay. I searched carefully in nests of other species of ants, and also 

 under stones where there were no ants, but did not see another specimen. This was 

 the only nest of this species of ant that I found." 



The ants were kindly determined by Mr. E. Saunders as Tetra- 

 moriuni ccdspitum ; this, at the time, seemed a very remarkable coinci- 

 dence, as Mr. Smith's Coccids belonged to the genus Ripersia, and were 

 found in the nests of two species of Tetromorimn* On August 12th 

 Mr. Luff kindly forwarded another lot of Coccids and ants which he 

 had taken at Alderney ; this is a new locality for the Coccids, which 

 are undoubtedly R. Tomlinii, and the ants were Lasius alienus. From 

 the liberal supply of Coccids I have been able to add some important 

 particulars. With the specimens Mr. Luff enclosed the following : — 

 "I particularly noted that the Coccids were found only under stones covering 

 ants' nests, and in many instances were some distance down the holes leading to the 

 interior of the nest. When I loosened a Cocvid from the grass root to which it was 

 attached, the ants carried it off into the interior of the nest ; and in two instances 

 I saw several ants loosen a Coccid themselves, and carry it away. Even portions of 

 the sac which I had broken off would be eagerly seized on and carried off." 



I think Mr. Luff's remarks are of the greatest value and interest 

 to those who are interested in the subject. But whether the Coccids 

 are originators of ants' nests I am not prepared to determine. My 

 experience tends to prove that ants do seek Coccids, and this no doubt 

 for the purpose of obtaining from them such material as is tasteful 



" Since referred to the genus Monomorium. 



