Cases of Protective Resemblance, Mimicry, etc. 355 



This is in all probability Miillerian mimicry, as the 

 Endomychidm are themselves much mimicked by other 

 groups. 



Alexia pilifera, Mull. 



This little beetle is very like the wingless form of the 

 small bug Myrmedobia coleoptrata, Fall. Douglas says in 

 the " Entomologist's Monthly Magazine " (Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 1874-5, p. 138) — " M. coleoptrata was found on a bank at 

 Highgate in company with small black ants, but not in 

 their nests. Neither sex is like an ant, and the apterous 

 $ resembles the Coleopterous Alexia pilifera which was 

 found at the same time and place." Many of the bugs 

 are known to be distasteful, and moreover the bug in 

 question is found in and about ants' nests, which evidently 

 do not harm it, so it may be an advantage to the beetle 

 to resemble the bug. 



JEndomychtcs coccineus, L. 



This beetle is of a bright red colour spotted with black 

 and bears a strong resemblance to a lady-bird. 



Erotylim:. 



Triplcwc russica, L., and T. amca, Schall. 



These two beetles, the one black, the other blue, with 

 a red thorax, look very much like species of Phytophaga. 



Cyrtotriplax bipustulata, F. 



This little species is black with a red spot on each 

 elytron and might easily be mistaken for a lady-bird. 



NlTIDULIDiE. 



Soronia jpunctatissima, 111., S. grisea, L., and Amphotis 

 marginata, Er. 



These three beetles frequent trees where they are found 

 under, and in chinks of the bark, etc. The first two species 

 occur on " cossus " trees, and the last on trees infested by 

 the ant Lasius fuliginosus. They are flat insects, coloured 

 like flakes of bark, which they would resemble when at 

 rest on the tree-trunks. 



