Jan., '08] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 33 



what as a species of Mutilla common in Cyprus (locally called 

 "Sphalangi") is thought to convey anthrax bacilli by its sting. 



16. 



No. 1 68. Polyrhachis militaris cupreobubescens For. 



(Hymenopt.) 



This ant (which is the local representative of P. militaris 

 Fabr.) is to my mind the most interesting of all Angolan insects. 

 The habits of the Driver Ant (Annoma arccns Westw.) have 

 elicited much admiration, but those of the less known species 

 under discussion are even more wonderful. These ants are 

 a mighty friend to mankind in that they feed on termites. I 

 once spent an hour or so watching them raid a nest of these 

 insects. The termites were swarming, the ground about their 

 nest being almost covered with workers and soldiers, and the 

 winged adults were rising in great numbers. The orderly and 

 steady advance of the ants, which were about 450 in number, 

 was in marked contrast to the oftentimes somewhat erratic 

 movements of A. arccns. On reaching the termites the ants 

 broke order and killed the workers by crushing each one in 

 their mandibles. The more formidable soldiers and large 

 winged adults were seized and stung to death. Then each ant 

 loaded its mandibles with as many termites as it could crowd 

 into them, using both legs and tip of abdomen in the process, 

 and the whole column filed off to their nest, the entire move- 

 ment being executed with a precision and expedition that can 

 only be compared to the maneuvers of a trained body of sol- 

 diers. As the ant nests are innumerable and their raids take 

 place often, they greatly lessen the number of destructive ter- 

 mites in the colony. They are rather vicious creatures, being 

 armed with a powerful sting, the effects of which are fully as 

 severe as those of the larger wasps. I have been stung while 

 digging out their nests for larvsc and pupge, and to obtain 

 specimens of Paussidas. The sting causes swelling, burning, 

 itching and does not entirely disappear for a fortnight. When 

 disturbed the ants stridulate with an angry buzzing sound al- 

 most exactly like that of water boiling in a small vessel. 



(To be concluded) 



