NATURE NOTES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21938, 12 November 1936, Page 2 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES

(By L. W. McCaskill)

G. Inch, of Te Pirita, near Rakaia, has found an interesting little beetle in the tussock grass land in his district. The scientist would call it Staphylmus oculatus, but we prefer to call it just a rove beetle. Seeing there are 12,000 different kinds of rove beetles in the world it is not possible to give each one a common name. Of all the great families of beetles, the rove beetles are perhaps the most easily recognised. In most other families the homy outer wings or wing cases cover the abdomen, but in this case meet of the abdomen is left exposed, so that we can count at least six joints or segments. This does not mean that the wings are necessarily small. They are actually quite large and can be unfolded and brought into action very rapidly.

The abdomen is freely movable •□d this provides another identification character for the family. Further, if disturbed, rove beetles have a habit of raising the tails in the air, probably in an. attempt to ■frighten tbs enemy.

A ROVE BEETLE

The specimen sent from Te Pirita can be distinguished from all other rove beetles by a spot of orangescarlet on each side of its head behind the eyes. It is five-eighths of an inch long, very shiny black on the thorax, dull black elsewhere and covered with fine hairs.

Nearly all adult rove beetles feed on decaying vegetable and animal matter, though come are found feeding on mushrooms and toadstools. Egg laying takes place in the soil, the eggs hatching into grubs somewhat similar to the adult in shape, but white or brownish in colour, and, of course, without wings. The grubs are very active, moving about in the soil or under dead* leaves to catch other insects on which they feed. Pupation also takes place in the soil. Seeing that the adults feed on refuse and the larvae on other insects, rove beetles should not be killed if found.

Some members of the family of rove beetles live on terms of the greatest friendship with ants and actually live in the nests of these

minute but mighty insects. These beetles have patches of yellow hairs which give off some substance much valued by the ants. When the ants have licked this material off, they partly digest it. Then they bring some of it out of their mouths again and feed the beetles with it.

Unfortunately, the beetles do not always appreciate these services as

they should, and they will often eat the larvae of the ants. The larvae of the beetles are very similar to those of the ants, and the ants tend them as they do their own, but often with fatal results.

Ants are in the habit of lifting out their own pupae and cleaning them, but beetle pupae will die if this treatment is meted out to them. Probably only those which escape the attention of the ants while in the pupal stage reach the adult condition.

Where Napoleon Stayed Before Waterloo

A piece of Napoleon history has been put up for sale. It is the farm near Waterloo where Napoleon spent the last night before the fateful battle. The farm is still called Mont St. Jean. Twelve monks lived there in Napoleon’s day, and he slept in one of. their cells. After the battle the building b'ocame a hospital for British wounded. Only £505 was offered for it at the sale.

NOTICE Specimens of insects or plants are invited from readers. The conditions under which such specimens are found as well as the locality, should be clearly stated. It is necessary to state whether the specimen, if an insect, was dead oi alive when it was found.