No. 037] 



AXTin:U(H>lIA(,rs OCHRACErS MKL.'^. 



189 



At the same time and place I took thirty-four larvfe of a small 

 beetle in various stages of development. As these larvae were 

 associated with the beetles and as they a^ee with the figure and 

 brief description of A. ochraceus given by Packard (1883), I 

 assume them to be the same. In another nest of Bremns (Bam- 

 hius) aurieomus (Robt.) opened on July 26, 1920, at Clyman 

 Junction, Wisconsin, I found a single adult of A. ochraceus. 

 Again on October 3, 1920, near White Heath, Illinois, I collected 

 about a dozen small beetle larvae in a surface nest of B. Pennsyl- 

 vanicus (DeGeer). These last-mentioned larva- differ slightly 

 from those found in the nest at Baraboo, Wisconsin, and if not 

 the same species may represent another species of Anthrrophagm. 



There has been much discussion as to the feeding habits of the 

 adult and larval Antherophagus. Wheeler, after a survey of the 

 literature of the subject, came to the conclusion that the larvae 

 were "in all probability merely scavengers in the Bomhus nes+s." 

 Wagner (1907) expresses the idea that they "will occasion enor- 

 mous destruction in the nest," but without giving an instance 

 of the same. I believe that these insects are purely scavengers, 

 not only feeding on the excrement of the bumblebees as suggested 

 by some, but also on all kinds of refuse as maintained by Renter 

 (1913). In the nests I examined containing Antherophagus 

 ochraceus, the beetles and larva- were never on that portion of 

 the comb then being used by the bees. They were always either 

 on the old decaying empty cocoons on the bottom of the nest, 

 or in the debris directly beneath or surrounding the comb. Such 



of l.uni])leboos. The hirva- J VUiila (Xrphopfrni.r in litt.) 

 nlniaiisil desvvlho,] hy Packard from the nests of ])nmblebees feed 

 on the pollen, honey, wax or cells of the comb. To escape being 

 killed by the bumblebees or carried out of the nest, the larvse 

 of this moth spin a regular labyrinth of silken tubes or eases 

 and never expose themselves to the bumblebees. The larva of 

 Antherophar/us do not spin protective cases and are in no sense 

 of the wor.l ]iai-asitic on the adult bees, larva- or pupa-. Tf tliey, 

 thus unpi-otertcl. should rrawl (•..ns|)i.-iK>iisl y over the eonih to de- 

 food, th.^y cMuld easily be ronil)ate.] by tli.- bumblobpes. Further- 

 adult beetles taken at F>arabio. Wiseoiisin. showed no signs of 



