138 Journal New York Entomological Society. l Voi.xvl 



according to Lewis (1889), live with Aphcenogaster testaceopilosa, and, 

 according to Lucas (1855), H. cavisiernns is found in the nests of 

 Messor barbarus. 



Our American species are nearly always found in the nests of 

 Formica species, as shown by the following records : 



1. H. blanchardi Lee. — Recorded from a nest of Aphanogaster 

 fulva by Schwarz (1890). 



2. H. morsus Lee. — Taken in a nest of F. fusca var. (probably 

 argentata) at West Cliff, Colorado, by Cockerell (1890). 



3. H. horni Wickham. — Taken during May by Wickham (1892) 

 in the nest of F. schaufussi at Cheyenne, Wyoming. 



4. H. minimus Fall. — Taken during March at Boulder, Colorado, 

 by Cockerell in a nest of Lasius niger var. americanus. 



5. H. tristriatus Horn. — Schwarz (Wasmann, 1894) mentions 

 this species as occurring in nests of F. fusca var. subcBnescens in Col- 

 orado, and of F. obscuripes in the District of Columbia. The latter 

 locality is probably a lapsus calami for British Columbia, since F. ob- 

 scuripes does not occur in the Atlantic States and H. tristriatus is like- 

 wise a western insect. Schwarz (1890) also cites this beetle as occur- 

 ring with F. schaufussi dX Helena, Montana. Brues (1903) has figured 

 a specimen taken by Professor H. Heath in a nest of F. subpolita at 

 Pacific Grove, California. 



6. H. brunneipennis Rand. — This beetle appears to be confined 

 to the Eastern States and has been taken only in the nests of our com- 

 mon species of Formica. It is cited by Schwarz from nests of F. fusca 

 (evidently var. subsericea) and I have taken it both with this ant in 

 New York State and with F. neocinerea in Illinois (1902). Blanchard 

 and Liebeck (1891) have encountered it in the larger mounds of 

 F. exsectoides. 



H. brunneipennis is the only one of our American species whose 

 habits have been briefly noticed, and the only account of these which 

 I have seen, is the following note published by Liebeck some years 

 ago : "A recent addition to the collection at the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia is a hill of the mound-building ant, Formica 

 exsectoides, from the vicinity of Altoona, Pa., containing a living 

 colony of ants, measuring about three feet in diameter at the base and 

 about two feet high. It is remarkable, considering the size, that over 

 two hundred examples of Hetcerius brunneipennis have been captured 

 upon the exterior of the hill, seemingly creating a doubt as to whether 



