- Having finished, the ant seized the beetle by the raised 
THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST, 
OBSERVATIONS ON A MYRMECOPHILOUS 
: ~ HISTERID. 
(Chlamydopsis epipleuralis, Lea.) 
(By H. IL. Zeck.) 
é Plate ii. E 
On turning over a stone at Como on the 10th June, : 
1917, beneath which was a nest of small black ants (Irido- 
mnyrmesx: gracilis, Lowne), the first thing I noticed was one . 
of the ants running towards one of the tunnel opening rs : 
with a small yellowisl object in its mandibles. I imme- 
diately caught the ant to see what it was carrying, and. 
found that it was one of the light-coloured Histeridac 
-(Chlamydopsis epipleuralis), that frequent the nests of 
this species of ant (Fig. 1 and 2, Plate ii.). 
These were kept alive in a glass tube, and observa- © 
- tions were made extending over a period of six days; bur 
~ were only noted for about half an hour each evening. 
: The nest in which this beetle was found contained two 
others which were resting with their legs and antennae : 
contracted. : + 
After two days some ant Treen (about six in num- 
ber, which had been collected from the same nest, but | : 
‘kept alive in’ a separate tube), were introduced into the s 
tube containing the beetle and the ant. These larvae the Py 
ant promptly killed and ate, leaving only their skins, 
showing not the slightest concern that they were its own 
relations. 2 
One evening the ant was seen cleaning or licking the | 
beetle on the dorsal (upper) surface, and then w. ashing a 
down each leg, afterwards washirg the head and antennae. : 
“process on the left elytron, but, seeming undecided what 
to do next, placed it down again, and seizing one of the a 
- beetle’s outspread forelegs with its mandibles, turned: the” Sse 
hbeetle over. on to its back and then cleaned the whole of Pre 
the ventral (lower) surface. After this the beetle was : 
turned back again. During the whole of the time this 
washing process was going on the beetle had its legs and 
antennae spread out, ‘and “had: I jarred the tube it would 
EEN have contracted them, Having turned the ~ 
