ANTS 137 



The food of ants is more varied also than that of 

 bees and wasps. It is known that ants were origin- 

 ally carnivorous in their habits, and a few more 

 primitive species of ants still retain their old habits, 

 (^.r., bulldog- ants, driver ants). Most ants 

 however, have a very varied diet, and can feed on 

 insects, spiders, etc., but they also enjoy nectar of 

 flowers, juices of fruits (when bruised). Some ants 

 seem particularly fond of flower nectar, or honey 

 dew. We have seen ants, such as Iridiomynnex 

 detectus (gravel or mound ant) on a tall mulberry 

 tree, sipping at the juices of bruised mulberries. 

 Some ants are very fond of the sugary secretions 

 of insects, such as the ''sugar-lerp," a psyllid which 

 secretes a little white brittle scale on leaves of 

 Eucalyptus. Of these we have noted large numbers 

 of the gravel ant Uridiomyrmex detecHis) .and, 

 a dark looking sugar ant (Camponotus aeneopilo- 

 sus; also fewer individuals of the golden-bodied ant 

 (Polyrhachis amnion)- Ants also visit the honey- 

 dew froghoppers of genus Eiirynicla which are often 

 quite hidden by the ants which surround them. Of 

 such we noted the gravel ants, which formed regular 

 processions from their very large nests (which 

 were in several clusters extending over about eight 

 yards) to the group of small Eucalyptus trees which 

 were about fifteen to thirty yards away. The sugar 

 ant {Camponotus nigriceps) was also present, and 

 also Polyrhachis ammon (golden-bodied ant), but 

 fewer of these species. An amusing incident oc- 

 curred as we were watching these ants. We saw 

 a solitary black bulldog ant {Myrmecia tarsata) walk- 



