THE HERDS OF THE YELLOW ANT. 75 



THE HERDS OF THE YELLOW ANT. 



By JAMES WEIR, Jr., M. D. 



AS far as my observations go, and they extend through a period 

 -*-^~ of twenty years, the aphides which live on grapevines, and 

 which are the peculiar cows of the common yellow ant (Lasius 

 flavus) of our gardens, show many curious phases in their life history. 

 Especially is this true of the manner in which they perpetuate their 

 species. 



If a colony of aphides be kept under observation during the 

 summer, it will be noticed that several kinds of individuals arise 

 within it. By far the largest number of the herd will be made up 

 of the wingless agamic form — that is, of females which reproduce 

 without mating. In the species under consideration the young 

 (during the summer) are born alive, and do not come from eggs. 



So rapid is the increase of these insects that overproduction 

 would soon kill off the colony by starvation were it not held in 

 check by the peculiar anatomical and physiological metamorphoses 

 which make their appearance in the offspring from time to time. 

 Every now and then young ones are born which, in the course of 

 time, evolve two pairs of wings; these winged individuals (which 

 are also females and agamic) abandon the colony and produce else- 

 where, in turn, wingless and single-winged individuals. In autumn 

 both males and females are born ; these mate and the females lay eggs. 



These creatures secrete a honeylike fluid which exudes from two 

 tubelike teats on the back of the sixth abdominal segment. Ants 

 are passionately fond of this honey-milk and jealously guard and 

 protect the herds of aphidian cows which produce it. They can be 

 seen at all hours of the day, busily engaged in milking their queer 

 kine. They will gently stroke the aphides with their antennae, thus 

 inducing a free flow of the nectar from the abdominal tubules. 

 Calves effect a like result by nudging their mothers with their heads ; 

 the cows " give down " their milk when thus assaulted by the calves. 



In autumn, as soon as ovipositing has begun, the ants gather the 

 aphis eggs as fast as they are laid- and carry them into their nests. 

 Here they remain, carefully guarded and protected by the ants, until 

 they hatch out in the spring, when the young agamic females are 

 carried out by their foster mothers and placed upon the tender grape 

 shoots or buds. This year the ants brought out the young aphides, 

 which formed the herds kept under observation this summer, on the 

 18th of March. On the 19th they carried them back into the nest; 

 this occurred in the forenoon, when the sun was shining and the air 

 was warm and balmy. About 12 m. it began to storm, and became 



