MANN: THE ANTS OF BRAZIL. 453 



137. Strumigenys smithi Forel. 

 A single worker from Para is in the collection. 



138. Strumigenys schdzi Emery. 



A single female and several workers were taken at Para, the type- 

 locality. 



139. Atta cephalotes (Linne). 



Common throughout the forest regions, in enormous colonies. 

 Numerous specimens were taken at Porto Velho, Abuna, and Madeira- 

 Mamore Camp 41. 



140. Atta sexdens (Linne). 



Many specimens were collected at Natal, Ceara, Independencia, 

 Baixa Verde, Ceara-Mirim, Manaos, and Porto Velho. 



This ant (the "sauba" of the Brazilians) ranges throughout the 

 tropical portions of South America, and is by far the most important 

 economically of all ants. It strips many cultivated plants of their 

 leaves, is especially attracted to citrus species. It takes also dried 

 vegetable matter, in particular farina, the staple food of Brazil. At 

 Independencia, back of our house was a large pile of kitchen refuse, 

 and this was visited nightly by hordes of workers, which collected 

 particles of farina, bread, and other vegetable material. 



All sizes of workers forage for leaves, generally at night, but also 

 in late afternoons or on cloudy days. The smaller workers of this 

 and the preceding species often ride upon a portion of a leaf which is 

 being carried by a large one and this has given rise to the native belief 

 that the larger workers are blind and are guided by the smaller ones. 



141. Acromyrmex {Moellerius) landolti Forel. 



Common at Natal and Baixa Verde. 



This species was described from a specimen from Colombia, and 

 Forel has since recorded it from Bahia, and Emery from Venezuela. 

 At Natal and Baixa Verde nests were very common. At the entrance 

 is built a turret of grass, from one to six inches in height. Through 



