Stinging Insects 
43 
The ants lacking a sting are those of the subfamily Camponotinae, 
which includes the largest of our local species. It is an interesting 
fact that some of these species possess the largest poison glands and 
reservoir (fig. 28) and it is found that when they attack an enemy 
they bring the tip of the abdomen forward and spray the poison in 
such a way that it is introduced into the wound made by the powerful 
mandibles. 
More feared than any of the other Hymenoptera are the hornets 
and wasps. Of these there are many species, some of which attain 
29. A harmless, but much feared larva, the "tomato worm.” 
Natural size. Photograph by M. V. S. 
a large size and are truly formidable. Phisalix (1897), has made a 
study of the venom of the common hornet and finds that, like the 
poison of the honey-bee, it is neither an albuminoid nor an alkaloid. 
Its toxic properties are destroyed at 120° C. Phisalix also says that 
the venom is soluble in alcohol. If this be true, it differs in this 
respect from that of the bee. An interesting phase of the w r ork of 
Phisalix is that several of her experiments go to show that the venom 
of hornets acts as a vaccine against that of vipers. 
NETTLING INSECTS 
So far, we have considered insects which possess poison glands 
connected with the mouth-parts or a special sting and which actively 
