134 
Psyche 
[August 
of the stems of Corclia nodosa Lani. var. hispidissima Freser, 
with Allomerus octoarticulatus Mayr, the typical ant of this 
myrmecophyte.” 
Nos. 209 and 175 have previously been identified in con- 
nection with Dr. Wheeler’s extended account of the curious social 
beetles which he found in this region. 
An exmination of these specimens in comparison with an 
extensive series of individuals from many other tropical and 
subtropical areas has indicated that this species is subject to a 
certain degree of variation in respect to the structural characters 
that are at present regarded as of taxonomic value, this variation 
occuring particularly in the number of spines in the different 
marginal cerarii, the shape of the ventral chitinized area at the 
caudal apex of the body, and the number of antennal segments. 
In the specimens collected by Dr. Wheeler the cerarian 
spines average slightly more numerous for corresponding cerarii 
than in typical forms from pineapple, that is, for example, in 
the same cerarius in ten specimens instead of, say, four having 
four spines and the other six, three spines each, the proportions 
may be six with four spines and four with three spines to each. 
The chitinized ventral thickening in nearly all of the specimens 
from pineapple is irregularly quadrate, at most only slightly 
longer than wide, but in the specimens from Dr. Wheeler, while 
the variation is marked, the average shape of each thickening 
is distinctly elongate, in this respect more nearly resembling 
the shape as figured by Ferris (ref. cited) for the species than the 
usual shape in the specimens from pineapple. The accompanying 
figure indicates this variation quite clearly. Finally, P. bromelice 
normally has 8-segmented antennae, while in a majority of the 
specimens sent by Dr. Wheeler these are 7-segmented; however, 
since these specimens show a range of from six to eight segments 
there seems no ground for attaching any taxonomic significance 
to the presence of one less segment in the majority of the antenna? 
examined. 
Prof. Cockerell (ref. cited) has recently called attention to 
the fact that the identification by modern coccidologists of the 
mealybug commonly occuring on pineapple as the “Coccus 
