THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 147 



NAKED AND COCOON PUP^ OF ANTS. 



BY GEO. B. KING, LAWRENCE, MASS. 



Ordinarily the tribe Camponotidte can be separated from the other 

 tribes of ants by its habit of having cocoon pupje in which their young 

 go through their transformation period ; whereas those of the (so-called) 

 aculeate genera remain naked and do not spin a cocoon, it will appear, 

 however, if diligent search be made, that several species of this tribe 

 (Camponotid?e) do have naked pupte, mixed with their cocooned ones, 

 Latreille seems to have been the first to discover that Formica fusca, L., 

 had naked and cocoon pupae. He could not, however, understand why 

 this should be, and indeed it remains one of the dark mysteries of the 

 present day. So far as I am aware no other species of ants have been 

 listed, other than Formica </usca, L., having this habit. During my 

 researches in the study of the ants of Massachusetts, I have found that 

 other species have acquired the same habit. And to satisfy myself that 

 no mistake was made on my part in the determination of the larva, 

 cocoon or imago, I seat samples of them to my friend and co- 

 worker, Mr. Ernest Andra, of France, for his opinion, and at the same 

 time enquired of him if any of the ants of Europe had been discovered 

 with naked and cocooned pupj«, other than F. fusca. In his reply he 

 stated that F. fusca is very frequently found with these two forms, and 

 occasionally For?nica sangiiinea, Latr.; Lasius niger, L.; Lasius fuligi- 

 nosus, Latr., and Polyergiis rufescens, Latr., have been found in Europe 

 having naked and cocooned pupae, the last four species being very rarely 

 met with in this condition. The species having this habit thus far found 

 by me in Massachusetts are : 



Fortnica fusca, L., var. subsericea, Say. ; June 8. 



" " " sub. sp. subpolita, Mayr. ; June 20. 



" lasioides, Em., var. picea, Em. ; July 31. 

 This list may be extended after further research ; they are, however, not 

 very frequently met with. The season of the year in which they are to 

 be found being hot and dry, and the ants much more active at this time, 

 as their usual custom is, they will hasten off with their young very rapidly 

 to the underground retreats of their nests, making it quite difficult to 

 obtain samples of either. Furthermore, I might possibly have found 

 more with similar habits if this were the only work which I am investi- 

 gating, but as I am studying all the insects living with ants, it is quite 

 possible that in many instances their cocoons and pupae are overlooked. 



