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OliDER—COLEOPTERA. SECTION—PENTAMERA.
FAMILY—PAUSSID.E.
PIATES XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, and XIX.
I n tlie second volume of my Arcana Entomologioa, 1843-5, is published a. complete scries of descriptions and
coloured figures of the species of this remarkable family kuouTi up to that period, eleven plates being devoted to
the fifty-two species therein illustrated. Since that time our knowledge of the family has been greatly extended,
especially as regards the species which are natives of South Africa, by the labours of Herr Gueinzius, in Ceylon
by those of Ilerr Neitner, and in those of New Holland; so that I am now enabled to more than double their
number : the live accompanying plates containing illustrations of fifty-four hitherto unfigured species.
The economy of the Paussidai is very peculiar, as appears by various communications made to the Entomological
Society, of which the following is a summary :—
The late i l r Benson succeeded in capturing two species of Merismoderus Bensoni Westw. under stones in
auts' nests in India. He also took specimens of P. nauceras and P. Baconis by sweeping g-rass and herbag-c in
India. His notes on the habits of P. Parriamis, which I published in the Transactions of the Entomological
Society, vol. v. p. 30, satisfactorily shew that that species ordinarily lives amongst ants, imder stones and
decaying- bark, and that it emits a fluid, when handled, sulficiently powerful to stain the fingers.
The late Major Champion, also, detected three species of Paussida^, near Hong Kong, under stones in the
nests of a minute species of ant. Crepitation was distinctly observed in these insects, the noise resemblino- the
ticking of a watch, and the finger being discoloured as by the discharge of a Brachinus. From the locality
where these insects are found, it scarcely seems probable that they are lignivorous, as had been sup)posed; and
fm-ther observations will, he thinks, prove their affinity to the Carabidas. (Trans. Ent. Soc. Loud. N S vol ii
p. 86.)
]\Ir. Roland Trimen (Trans. Ent. Soc. Proe. 1870, part iii) states that he captured a specimen of Paussns
Burmeisieri Westw. resting on a leaf of Protea mellifera, but that Pentaplatarthrus Paussoides VTestw. was taken
m the nests of a moderate-sized black ant, under stones, where it is seen either motionless or walking slowly
among the excited ants along one of their galleries, and it did not appear to him that the ants, when disturbed,
shewed any anxiety about the safety of the beetles, or, indeed, paid them any notice whatever. Dr. Becker ]iad,
however, told him that he believes he saw some ants milk a specimen, in tlie same manner as they treat the
aphides ; and J\Ir. Harrison brought him a pair taken in copula in the nest, leading to the opinion that the
beetles seldom, if ever, leave the formicarium. The same gentleman had also taken another small species in a
nest of small reddish ants.
Herr Gueinzius, who has been very successful in collecting the species of Paussida; at Port Natal, states
(Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond. Sept. 1, 1851) that all the species observed by him (14 in number) are night-creatures,
flying during the Spring (i. e. from the middle of October to December), especially in thundery weather, from 9
to 11 o'clock in the evening. They are dazzled and attracted by light, flying through open windows aud doors on
still, warm nights. Their flight is swift, and with a peculiar shrill sound. All the species contain a caustic liquid,
which they eject in an audible manner from the abdomen on being seized. This liquid from Peniaplaiarlhns
Paussoi-des stains one's fingers blood-red for several days; from the larger species oí Cerapienis, Üie purjilishbrown
of iodine ; from the Pleiiropterus altemans Westw., it burns the epidermis, forming white spots. The
odour of this liquid is extremely pungent, like ammonia, and reminds one also of iodine. Tlie explosion is
repeated three or fom- times, becoming gradually weaker when it becomes exhausted. Herr Gueinzius further
observed on several occasions the Pentaplatarlhrus Paussoides made prisoner by the ants, the specimen beinogently
led by its antennas by several ants which accompanied it in procession.
From the statements of Mr. B. W. Plant, on the Paussidaj of Natal (Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond. Dec. 3, 1855),
it is evident that these beetles are strictly guarded and kept prisoners by the ants, he having observed a string
of the latter seizing one of the beetles and dragging it otf to their nest. The beetles struggle, and endeavour
to get ont of the holes, but they are soon overtaken and brought back again. The ants do not kill them on the
spot, as they do some other creatures. And Jlr. Plant asks, ' for what other ¡jurpose should the ants toil in
their capture, but in the pursuit of their natural instinct to secm-e food wherever it is oflered ?'
FAMILY—PAUSSID/E. 7 3
Herr Gueinzius also states that, with the exception of the specimens attracted by candle light, and a single
one found in the hot sunshine sitting upon a blade of grass, all which he had taken were found in ants' nests,
living with species which are carnivorous; Cerapterus, Pleuropterus, aud Pentaplatarthrus, with diflerent larger
species; but the true Paussi seem to live only with small species of ants; he had, indeed, found as many as
seven distinct species of Paussi living with one and the same species of ants. The Paussi ' appear in November,
and last during the whole season until April. Their caustic juice is squirted out of the sides of the abdomen;
part of it eva,porates immediately as a blue smoke, distinctly visible by sun light; the remainder covers both
sides of the elytra, and remains as a whitish or pale yeUow unctuous matter.' He had repeatedly found P.
Zafreillii in the act of copulation in ants' nests. The specimens are nearly ahvays found in the part of the nest
where the eggs and pupa? of the ants are deposited, and although he had never observed a Paussns in the act of
feeding, yet, from the great and mysterious attachment which the ants shew them, he is inclined to believe they
feed upon the spoil which the ants convey into the nests, rather than upon their eggs or pupa3. He believes
also that the eggs of the Paussi are there deposited and bred, and it is not impossible that their larvse are fed by
ants as their own offepring. The sunny sides of the margins of forests are the places where Paussi arc generally
met with. A piece of old dry wood is seldom found without an ants' nest beneath i t ; (stones get too hot in the
sun); when this shelter is carefuUy lifted up on one side, he had often observed a Paussus {P. Bolimii, eucullatus,
or Lairdllii) surrounded and covered with ants apparently sucking nourishment out of it, and fondling it all
the time with their autennie, as t tey do the aphides and larvas of Centroti and other laraellieorn Coleoptera found
with ants. When the alarm is given in a nest, and all is hurry and bustle to save eggs and pupa3, two or three
ants will seize the sluggish Paussus by the antennie, and it is quickly hurried below with the rest. Herr Gueinzius
could discern no diflirence in the odour emitted by P. cucullatns and P. Latrdllii, when exploding, and that which
he perceived on opening an ants' nest on a hot day. (Proe. Ent. Soc. Lond. Feb. 11, 1858, 2nd Ser. vol. v. p. 3.)
Dr. Erichson published the description of a larva, which appeared to him to be unquestionably that of a
species of this family, having been received from Dr. Peters at Sinna, Mozambique, stuck upon a pin with a
specimen of a Paussus, and not referrible to any other group of larvas. The body is rather short, not unlike that
of a Hister larva, but the integument is leathery, clothed with long hairs ; the nine hind segments very short, the
last with two large conical hairy appendages, each having a small terminal joint. The small tubular anal joint
extends backwards between these two appendages. Each of the second and following segments have on each
side of the imder sm-face a small conical process with long oblique hairs at the end, enabling the body to glide
forwards; the legs are rather short, spined, the tibiie short, and the tarsi terminating in a sharp claw. The
head is broad and flat, transversely-quadrate. The antennie have the two basal joints thick, and tlie third and
fourth slender and small; the mouth is formed as in the Carabidos larvee. There are six ocelli on each side of
the head; the mandibles are strong, rather sickle-shaped, curved, and terminating in a sharp point. The larva;
is 5"' long, and the apical appendages are IJ' " long. The body is shining black, the meso- and meta-thoracic
segments orange, the head, two terminal segments, with the two appendages and legs, chesnut coloured, and
the hairs black. From the structure of this larva. Dr. Erichson considered that the Paussidas exhibit a relationship
with the Staphylinidas. (Wiegmann, Arehiv. f Naturg. vol. xiii. p. 275.)
GENUS—CEEAPTERirS. Swederus.
SUB-GENUS—O RTHOPTERUS.
(Westw. Arc. Eiit. ii. p. J.)
SPECIES L-OETHOPTEEUS STILII. Westw.
PLATE XV, FIG. 10.
0. SmUkii proximus ; totus picens, nitidus: capite punctate ; prothorace capite multo latiori, medio foveato,
lateribus rotundatis; elytris vage punctatis; humeris parce setosis et vix punetatis, lateribus seriatim punctis ;
antennis et pedibus magis rufescentibus; tibiis latis ángulo apicali rotundato, setis perpaucis erassis instructo.
Long. corp. lin. 7f.
Habitat; Africa (Bowring). In Mus. Britann.
The head is 1 line long, and I5 wide ; the prothorax is I J line long, and 2j wide ; and the elytra are
5 | lines long, aud 3 lines wide. The antennie are 4 | lines long'; the third joint is rather wider than the ninth,
the remaining joints to the e.xtrcmity gradually but very slightly diminishing in width ; the width of the seventh
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