1891.] ASSOCIATION OF GAMASIOS WITH ANTS. 641 



upon my journey, but on my return I found that during my absence 

 Prof. Berlese had described it from specimens he found near Naples. 

 He says " frequently found in Ants' nests," but does not say anything 

 as to the species of Ant or whether found in the nests of more than 

 one species ; he calls it Uropoda canestriana ^. 



I spent the month of April (1S91) in Corsica. Above Ajaccio, 

 almost adjoining the top of the garden of the Hotel Oontinenta!, is 

 a little sheltered plain of sandy earth and rock, with scattered bashes 

 and a great number of large, loose stones. On turning these stones 

 over, the larger number are found to cover the nests of some Ant; 

 one of those most frequently found in this locality is the small yellow 

 Tetramorium ccespitum, race meridionale, Emery, which differs widely 

 from the ordinary type of that sjiecies. On examining the nests of 

 this Ant with a lens, I at once noticed some reddish-orange spots, 

 which I at first thought might be Sir John Lubbock's Uropoda 

 formicarice. Placing them under the microscope I found them to be 

 an allied but different and much smaller species, then unknown to 

 me ; but which, as above stated. Prof. Berlese had lately found and 

 called after Prof. Cauestrini. The Uropodce were on the undersides 

 of the stones and in the passages and chambers of the nest, never, 

 as far as I saw, upon the Ants themselves ; they were, as is usual, 

 rather inactive creatures, and did not appear to take much notice of 

 the Ants, nor did the Ants of them. It was not every nest of 

 T. C(Bspitum that contained the Uropodce, but I should think half 

 did ; and although not very abundant they were fairly numerous in 

 those nests where they did occur. They were of both sexes and of 

 all ages. I did not find this Uropoda in the nest of any Ant except 

 T. ccespitum, nor have I ever found it anywhere except in the nests 

 of the Ant. 



In the nests of the same species of Ant at the same place we found 

 one of the Gamasince belonging to the genus Lcelaps, which I believe 

 to be unrecorded and propose to name L. equitans ; it is sub-discoidal 

 in form, very small, and is an active, wandering creature, entirely 

 different from the Uropoda. It was found, like the Uropoda, upon the 

 underside of the covering-stones, and in the passages and chambers 

 of the nest ; but it was also found on the Ants themselves, most 

 frequently sitting quietly upon the broad head of the Ant. It did 

 not appear at all like a creature which was permanently resident upon 

 the Antjbut rather like one which was enjoying a short temporary ride; 

 it jumped on to and ofi' the Ant with great activity, and several times 

 when the nest was disturbed or when I thought I was going to catch 

 the Lcelaps it jumped neatly on to the head of an Aut, which ran off 

 and was immediately lost amongst the swarms of others. The Ant 

 never seemed to be at all inconvenienced by its rider, and never made 

 any effort to get rid of it, but appeared to me to go on concentedly 

 carrying it as long as the Lcelaps chose to stay. This mounting 

 and riding upon the Ants seemed to me very characteristic of the 

 Gamasid, and I have utilized it for the specific name. The Lcelaps 



■^ " Acari, Scorpioni e Miriapodi Italian!." Florence, fasc. Iviii. pi. iv. 



43* 



