300 



WHEELER— ANT LARV^. 



lar behavior in Tetramorium cccspititm and in some Camponotine 

 ants of the genus Lasiiis. Hungry larvse of Aphcrnogaster will even 

 attack and devour smaller larvae of their own species that lie within 

 reach of their sharp mandibles. 



Still the very young larvae of Aphccnogastcr and possibly also 



Fig. 3. A, nearly adult larva of Mcgaponcra foctens Fabr. ; B, head of same, 



dorsal view. 



of the Ponerinae are fed with liquid food regurgitated on their 

 mouths by the workers. Miss Fielde thus describes the process in 

 Aphmiogastcr (1901) : 



The feeding of the larva, which is bent nearly double in the egg. with 

 regurgitated food begins as soon as it straightens itself and protrudes its 

 mouth. When the larvae begin to appear in the egg-packet, the workers lift 

 the packet and hold it free and still, while one of their number holds a trans- 

 lucent white globule of regurgitated food to the larval mouth projecting from 



