THE GUESTS OF ANTS AND TERMITES. 147 
melanella) for Epping Forest, but no species of Solenobia nor Fumeid ; 
probably F’. casta was omitted because of the difficulty of assigning a 
correct name in those days of confusion amonest ‘‘ intermediella,” 
“¢ yoboricolella,”’ and the rest of them; I have a distinct recollection 
also of seeing a Proutia in Mr. Machin’s collection a short time before 
his death, and of his stating to me his conviction that it was a separate 
species, but I cannot say whether the species in question was or was 
not from Epping Forest. 
The Guests of Ants and Termites (with Plate). 
By E. WASMANN, 8.J. (translated by H. DONISTHORPH, F.Z.S., F.E.S.). 
(Continued from p. 119.) 
The localities where this insect had so far been discovered were also 
given, namely, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Cayenne 
and Brazil, to Rio de Janeiro. The biological note was as follows 
“Though this wonderful insect is widely distributed, it seems to be a 
very rare species, as so few examples have been found. Its life-history 
is unknown, but the late Mr. Belt told me that he had generally found 
it on ant-hills.” I then looked up Belt’s Naturalist in Nicaragua, 
and on p. 84 found the statement, that a large species of Staphy- 
linus lived in the Atta nests of Nicaragua. There was hardly a doubt 
that the Atta guest spoken of by Belt was the same as the one before 
me. The logical chain of evidence was concluded a posteriori, and my 
supposition was confirmed. According to the accepted laws of nomen- 
clature laid down by the German Zoological Society, this beetle 
should be named Sinilax pilosus, F., since Siilav was the generic name 
given to it by Laporte. Nordmann changed it later to Cordylaspis, as 
there is a plant called Smilax. It is quite true that the same name 
must not be used twice in Zoology, but a botanical name has nothing 
to do with a zoological one, therefore, the beetle must be again called 
Smilax. This beetle was described by Fabricius in his Mantissa 
Insectorwi, 1787, as Staphylinus pilosus, but a whole century has elapsed 
before it has been discovered to be a true ant guest. Belt gives as a 
reason for its appearance on these ant-hills that its larva feeds on the 
decaying leaves of which the sloping Atta nests are constructed, but this 
is very unlikely, as the larve of the Staphylinidae are carnivorous. 
Bates also found the insect in Brazil, but never mentioned its connection 
with ants. The fact that Smilax pilosus has so far only been found 
singly can be explained by its being a true Atta guest. Atta seadens, 
L., cephalotes, L., fervens, Lay, and columbica, Guer., only can be its 
hosts on account of its great size, and these make givantic nests which 
stretch underground for many miles, their population consisting of 
hundreds of thousands and even iillions of big-headed worker-ants, 
which are so well armed that their bite draws blood. It is, therefore, 
very difficult to search their nests, and for that reason one can under- 
stand why so little is known of their guests. Whoever cares to search 
for Smilax pilosus among these species of Atta will undoubtedly find it 
in large numbers. 
The biological divisions of the genuine ant and termite guests can 
be divided into four classes according to the different kinds of intercourse 
which exist between them and their hosts. 
