1878.] Transformations and Habits of Blister- Beetles. 217 
the abdomen is shrunken the general aspect is very much that. of 
Pediculus, and it is hardly surprising that some of the early 
describers so determined it. 
| 
a History of Sitaris—The history of Sitaris is also well known 
a and agrees very closely with that of Meloë. Its first larva was 
figured many years ago by Westwood (Introduction, etc., fig. 34, 
= 5) from specimens obtained from Audouin, who found the female 
, Sitaris in the cells of Anthophora enclosed in its thin pseudo- 
: pupal and second larval skins, which Audouin erroneously took to 
= be the pellicle of the devoured bee-larva. But the complete life-his- 
~ tory of the genus was first given by Fabre in 1857 (Azz. d. Sc. Nat., 
_ Zodl., t. vii. p. 299; t. ix. p. 265), who studied the S. Aumeraiis 
| = Fabr, while that of S. col/etis V.-M. has been more recently 
= given by M. Valery-Mayet, of Montpellier, France (Aux. Soc. 
Ent. de Fr. 1875, p. 65), from whom I have specimens in all 
stages. The former species infests the nests of Anthophora, the latter 
those of Colletes. In the former the newly hatched larva hybernate 
in huddled masses in the galleries of the bee; in the latter they hy- 
_ bernate in the bee-cell, slowly feeding while the temperature per- 
mits ; but such differences doubtless depend on the relative earliness 
in the autumn that the eggs are ‘laid. The first larva or triungulin 
— 
Noles 
ae 
| 
sal and general char- 
acters with that of 
Meloé, but differs in 
‘Several important par- @ 
_ ticulars,and especially fi 
from which is secreted i sie 
(A serous, sticky fluid, a d manar i cond lavas Peedo pupa; J 
_ which aids the animal third larva ; ¢, pupa ; d imago Ọ (after V.-Mayet). 
in holding firmly to the bee that is to carry it into the nest. A 
_Pre-anal pair of claspers also assist in this work. The hypermet- 
_ amorphoses are very similar to those of Mée/oé. The triungulin 
after absorbing the contents of the bee egg, molts, and thereafter 
_ floats upon and devours the honey—the pseudo-pupa, third larva 
: and true pupa all forming in due time within the second larval- 
skin.. The female does not wehi and on account of her heavy. 
