170 



ELEMENTARY STUDIES IN INSECT LIFE 



FIG. 131. White ants. Sol- 

 dier on the left, worker on the 

 right. 



The workers, as the term sug- 

 gests, perform the labors of the 

 colony. The soldiers are the de- 

 fenders of the home. Upon the 

 king and queen depends the in- 

 crease of individuals. 



Kings and queens are winged. 

 In May and June those indi- 

 viduals belonging to our spe- 

 cies in this country leave the 

 nest by flight and select new 

 locations. A king chooses a queen. They shed their 

 wings. If perchance a few workers find them and adopt 

 them, the workers will 

 build a circular cell for 

 protection and furnish 

 them food. This proced- 

 ure forms the basis for 

 the establishment of a col- 

 ony. Since workers do 

 not always discover and 

 adopt these noted individ- 

 uals, many kings and 

 queens perish unattended. 

 Should a colony become 

 queenless, wingless, sex- 

 ual individuals, compli- 

 mented kings and queens, 

 are produced. Such females are unable 

 to lay many eggs, and here we find sev- 

 eral of these required in the colony to fill 



FIG. 132. A king 

 white ant. En- 

 larged. 



FIG. IBS. white 



ant queen, from 



Africa - natural 

 Ph " 



