174 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’ S RECORD. 
that Coccinella distineta belongs to the protected group of Myrmeco- 
philous Coleoptera. Its larva no doubt feeds on the Aphidae and 
Coccidae that occur in the nests of Mormica rufa. 
Clythra 4-punctata.—I am inclined to think that this beetle is a 
mimic of Coccinella distincta, as it has a strong superficial resemblance 
to a “ lady-bird,” and the Coccinellidae are known to be distasteful to 
insectivora. Its habitat is the same as that of the ladybird, in the 
nests of Formica rufa. Its larva is a soft fleshy grub, and to protect 
itself from the ants, it constructs a peculiar case. This case which is 
made of black excrementitious matter, is somewhat pear-shaped, and 
is open at the narrow end, this opening being closed by the hard horny 
head of the larva. On its upper side several ridgesrun from the mouth 
of the case, the inner ones meeting and forming a series of V’s, as it is 
Supposed to strengthen the case. When ready to change to a pupa 
the larva closes up the entrance to the case and fastens it to a stick or 
other object in the nest, it then turns round and faces the bottom of 
the case, through which the perfect msect breaks its way. I have 
taken this case in F’. rufa nests at Buddon Wood, Oxshott, Wey- 
bridge and the Blean Woods, and have bred the beetle freely. It has 
been said that these larvee feed on the eggs of the ants, but Wasmann 
is rather of opinion that they feed on the vegetable refuse of the nest, 
which seems more natural for a phytophagous beetle larva. The 
Jarval case of an allied species, (’. laeviuscula, is described and figured 
by Wasmann in his ‘* Zur Kentniss der Bosnischen Myrmekophilen ” 
(Wiss. Mitt. a. Bos. w. Her., Band vi., 1899) and as it is found in the 
bare earth in eee nes of Iaasiins niger var. alieno-niyer and L. alienus, 
it is difficult to know what the larva can feed on. 
T now give a table classifying all our species, with the ants with 
which they have occurred, according to Father Wasmann’s method. 
He divides them into four classes as follows : 
Class I. Consists of the regular euests of the ant. 
Class II. Consists of the regular guests of another species of ant. 
Class III. Consists of chance guests which are often found in numbers with 
the ant. 
Class IV. Consists of chance guests not often found with ants. 
It will be seen by examining the table that we possess in Britain 44 
true coleopterous guests ; and that Formica rufa and Lasius fuliginosus 
are by far the most prolific in guests, the former possessing 22 true 
guests, and the latter 18. 
I give the authority and reference to all the species, excepting those 
in Class I. 
TABLE. 
With Formica nora, L. 
Class ].—Oxypoda formiceticola, Mark. 
Oxypoda haemorrhoa, Mann 
Ptenidium tormicetorum, Ky. 
Coccinella distineta, Fald. 
Dendrophilus pygmaeus, L. 
Thiasophila angulata, Er. 
Dinarda miarkeli, Mann 
Myzrmedonia humeyralis, Grav. 
Notothecta flavipes, Gray. 
Notothecta anceps, Er. 
Homalota parallela, Mann(talpa, 
Heer) 
Quedius brevis, Er. 
Xantholinus atratus, Heer 
Leptacinus formicetorum, Mik. 
Ptilium myrmecophilum, All. 
Ptenidium kiaatzii, Math. 
Class II. 
Myrmetes piceus, Payk. 
Monotoma conicicollis, Aubé 
Monotoma formicetorum, Thoms. 
Cetonia floricola,Hbst.,larve and 
pupe. 
Clythra 4-punetata.L., larye and 
pupe. 
Labidostomis tridentata, L. lurve 
and pupee (?) 
Dinarda  dentata, Gray. 
(Fowler, Col. Brit. Isles, ii., 53.) 
Lomechusa strumosa, F.(Janson, 
a 
