69 



Injurious insects received some attention, but witli most of 

 them nothing in the way of remedies was attempted. The white 

 ant was found to be plentiful, but was not observed to be doing 

 any injury in the vicinity of the Station. Many colonies were 

 located on the higher ground under decaying boards and other 

 pieces of wood. A species of ant, Solenopsis geminata, deter- 

 mined for me by Professor Wheeler of the American Museum, 

 ic very plentiful and has some habits which are worthy of men- 

 tion. They were often found in the burrows of predaceous 

 wasps under circumstances which led one to suspect that they 

 killed the larvae and used them for food. The ant is one that 

 must be guarded against while making collections of insects, 

 for if the recently collected specimens are left exposed often 

 maich damage is done. During my first stay at the Station the 

 species was very troublesome, for not being acquainted with its 

 habits, pined insects were placed on my table in boxes with covers 

 that did not fit tightly, and before I was aware of its presence 

 many valuable specimens were destroyed. The number of speci- 

 mens of the ant that took part in the work of destruction can- 

 not be estimated, but they formed a continuous line of indi- 

 viduals from the ground up the foundation and across the floor 

 tc the table from which the return was made by the same route. 

 Like other ants they hesitate to make an attempt to cross water 

 and I found that thorough protection was given to anything 

 that was placed where the ants had to cross water in order to 

 get to it. Solonopsis geminata appears to be almost omnivorous 

 in its food habits, and for that reason is especially annoying. 



Heliothis armiger, the larva of which is commonly known 

 as the cotton-boll worm, is plentiful, but as I observed its work 

 it is more destructive to corn than to cotton in that section. 

 The leaves and stalks of growing corn in July showed much 

 injury from its attacks. 



The garden webworm, Loxostege similalis, is a common 

 species. In July the adults were plentiful, and in passing 

 through the fields one could see them flying up on every side. 

 The larvae feed on almost all kinds of plants and sometimes 

 do much injury to cotton and corn. The moth is about three- 

 fourths of an inch in expanse, and is variable in color, through 

 different shades of yellow. 



