Biology of Staphylinidae 247 
The genus Anthobium contains several species in this country which 
are found associated with blossoms but no damage has been reported 
(Blatchley 10:481). Schecunctic apparently believes that A. Bae as 
1 ha the 
y other authors. ere have been a few reports of injury cabbage 
ne root crops. The beetles which usually feed on the root maggot 
occasionally gnaw at the tender roots (Lintner 82:189). 
er oe a hoe insects ie with fungi contains nume 
rences to staphylinids. Wei and West (22:198) ioe 
eee Sanne "Ra b., and Tachinus ‘fimbriat Grav., feeding on 
open sp., and Collybta sp. Contr ary to the above conclusions Richards 
(26 :2 )) in his “Animals Associated with ree lists Aleochara 
a oince Dr., Atheta xanthoptera Steph., Autalia tmpressa OL, 
Boletobius aeus F., B. trinotatus Er., fe scab gentilis Er. 
“heath marginates F, Ph. proximus Dr., Ph. Varlans ., proteinus 
brachypterus F., P. ovalis Steph., teiied cinctus Pk. and Tachinus 
laticollis Gr, all as carniverous. Richards further states his position 
= 
Saying, 
at the base of the food chain are larvae of small flies and Collembola. 
The ee, beetles feed on these but there are no details of their 
feeding habit 
My own laboratory experiments have not been conclusive. 
When mated pairs of Tachinus fimbriatus Grav., were confined 
with fleshy fungi for food, it was noted that after several hours 
there were places on the gills which had been eaten. The beetles 
soon died but it is difficult to say whether oe died for lack 
of suitable food material or because of old a 
Mating Behaviors 
he variation in the accounts of eho recorded for 
Staphylinidae is due to the species involved, to incomplete obser- 
vations and to disturbing conditions which the haces has not 
taken into account. If two staphylinids are disturbed during 
copulation, both immediately attempt to escape, one in one direc- 
tion and the other in the opposite. As the reproductive organs 
do not free sera the observer might easily conclude that this 
end to end position is the normal behavior. This condition is 
as frequently seen in the field as in the laboratory. 
Nambeu (07:115 and 08:70-71) gives a general account of 
the copulatory behaviors of the genera Philonthus and Staphylinus. 
close of the first phase, the male releases his hold on the back 
of the female and takes a position which places the two individ- 
uals more nearly end to end. This second phase lasts from a 
