SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



257 



APHIDES IN ANTS' NESTS. 



DESCRIBING A NEW SPECIES. 



By G. B. Bucktox, F.R.S. 



r I THE obscure subject which rather inappro- 

 -*- priately may be styled " Sycophancy 

 amongst Insects" is both curious and invites 

 attention. The recorded number of insects which 

 affect the society of ants is somewhat large, and 

 contains members of several entomological orders, 

 the principal of which are Coleoptera and Hemi- 

 ptera. Of the aphides there are several species. 

 Only now we are beginning to realise that in many 

 cases these Hemiptera undergo part of their 

 metamorphic stages underground. Some affect 

 ants' nests, others, as Phylloxera, attack the roots 

 of vines, etc., simply for the sustenance they obtain 

 from the sap there elaborated. 



Some radicle forms of aphides may be here 

 mentioned (') : Siphonophora millefolii, S>2)houo- 



or six facets or simple lenses. The males, if aerial 

 in habit, have their eyes fully developed. 



Some genera, however, possess dimorphic males, 

 as may be seen in Phylloxera vastatrix. In these 

 the underground males are either blind, like the 

 females, or have exceedingly small eyes, and also 

 are mouthless. This is a remarkable instance of 

 blindness in the parents which is never trans- 

 mitted to the offspring until the final stage of 

 development occurs for reproduction. 



The example I now describe was turned out of 

 a nest of Formica rufa at Oxshott, and it appears 

 to be a male of a species of Laehnus. Mr. Donis- 

 thorpe could detect no other example of either 

 sex in the heap. Are certain insects treated by 

 ants as pets, just as we treat our lapdogs ? 



\ 



■ \~ \ 



Laehnus formicophihts X.: 



phora rubi, Aphis subterranea, Pemphigus lactu- 

 carius, Tetraiieura ttlmi. Mr. H. Donisthorpe has 

 forwarded to me an aphis that appears to be new. 

 The Lachninae are in many cases gall-inhabiters. 

 The question arises, What becomes of those forms 

 of aphides which occur in swarms on some plants 

 in summer, but cannot be found at all in autumn, 

 either as true sexes or in the condition of ova, the 

 plants themselves being green and vigorous 1 



Like some of the numerous beetles comprised in 

 Mr. Donisthorpe's list ('-) of Myrmicophilous Coleo- 

 ptera, the females of these aphides are wholly or 

 partially blind. At least, their visual organs, if 

 present, are rudimentary, or often restricted to five 



(1) Sec " British Aphides," notes by Balbiani, vol. iii. p. ~i : 

 nuil Lichtenstein, vol. iii. p. 112. 



(2) "Entomologist's Record," vol. xii. p. 172. 



Feb. 1901.— No. 81, Vol. VII. 



The hypothesis is that at the end of the genera- 

 tion the oviparous female descends from the food- 

 plant into the ants' nest, and that subsequently 

 the male seeks her there. 



LA ClIXT'S FOPMICOPH1L US n.s. 



Male. Body small, globular, black, and covered 

 with white rlocculent matter. Pronotum with 

 two shining black bubbles on the back. Head 

 rather large. Antennae very long and six-jointed, 

 Legs brown, slender, and long. Fore wings 

 ample, with tine black nervures and with a hyaline 

 stigma bordered only with brown. Expanse of wings 

 11-0 millimetres. Oviparous Female unknown. 



Habitat. Oxshott, Surrey, found in an ant- 

 heap of Formica rufa. 



Weycombe, Haslevwre, January \o/h. 1K01 . 



