142 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xvi. 



hosts. That it nevertheless retains its synceketic habits intact is shown 

 by its feeding on the insect refuse in the nest. These habits are prob- 

 ably very useful in enabling the beetle to live in colonies of indifferent 

 or even hostile hosts. Schwarz and Wasmann have noticed the great 

 development of the trichomes in the Hetcerii from the Western 

 States and have naturally concluded that these species are in all prob- 

 ability true symphiles. It is, indeed, probable that their relations to 

 their hosts are even more intimate than those of our eastern brunneipen- 

 m's to F. subsericea. If this should prove to be the case, the genus 

 Hetcerius would exhibit an interesting series of ethological stages, begin- 

 ning with synceketes like the European ferrugineus in fusca colonies, 

 passing into a sub-symphilic stage in this same species when living with 

 L. alienus and exhibiting a more perfect symphily in H. brunneipennis 

 and especially in the species of the Western States. Our meager knowl- 

 edge indicates that the numerous other myrmecophilous Histerida; that 

 have been recorded by various authors, are mainly, if not exclusively, 

 synoeketes or synechthrans, that is, insects living in the nests of ants as 

 indifferently tolerated or as persecuted intruders. These furnish an 

 interesting subject for future observation and comparison. 



Literature. 



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