A Note on the Parasitic Beetle, Hornia Minutipennis Riley

Phil Rau
1930 Psyche: A Journal of Entomology  
In the Ecology of a Clay Bank-, (p. 236), I have already recorded that the parasitic beetle, Hornia minutipennis, was twice taken from the nests of the burrowing bee, Anthophora abrupta. Riley has named this species rom beetles taken from the nests of this bee (sponsaabrupta) collected in this region. Since the publication of the ecology paper, I have gathered a few meagre notes on the habits of this parasite, and since so little is known of its behavior, I beg leave to present them here. It is
more » ... well known that the beetle larvm in the triungulin stage attach themselves to the pubescence of the bees and by this method are transported to the bees' nests, where they feed upon the bee larvse and attain their maturity. In 1925, on May 5 and 17, I ound one emale each time, walking about on the lumps of clay containing the nests of the Anthophora bees, which I had brought into the laboratory. Some time later, June 7, I found on the surface of the clay mass five distinct clusters of triunguli, which apparently had hatched from eggs which I had not noticed. These masses or colonies were separate groups, and the larvm did not move about at this stage. However, when I came near or brushed them with bits of cotton or dead Anthophora bees, they readily attached themselves to fibers and hairs. On another occasion a very small hole was discovered in one of the bee cells. Upon opening the cell, an adult female beetle was discovered inside; hence I assumed that the beetle had made the opening. In still another cell, where a hole of the same size was found, I removed a dead mother beetle and hundreds of living triunguli. Another 1Identified by Mr. E. A. Schwarz. 2Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 25: 236-7, 1926.
doi:10.1155/1930/23490 fatcat:oqqkvld6vnf4tcdjmdw3uw7mi4