APHIDES OF LASIUS NIGER. 23 



appear to injure them in any way. The ants took no notice of them. 



In this nest there was a large number of Antennopliori (the species 

 was without doubt A. grandis), about 12 per cent, of the ants being 

 infested with them. The same summer I found Antennophori with both 

 Lasiiis nicjer and L. flavm. The position of an Antennophorm on an 

 ant was generally the underside of the head, though they were 

 occasionally seen on the top of the head, on an antenna, and on the 

 abdomen. Sometimes as manj/ as three were on one ant, two generally 

 being on the abdomen, and the third under the head. On one occasion 

 I saw a pair apparently copulating on the antenna of a L. niger. I 

 observed ants of this species try to brush the parasites from their 

 antenna. 



On August 13th, 1909, I found an Antennophorus on the underside 

 of a ^ of Ladiis fiavu^ belonging to a colony in a " Janet " nest. When 

 I first observed the Antennoplinrm it was attempting to transfer itself to 

 the head of a <? standing face to face Avith the ^ , but though it made 

 several attempts, the S always drew back in time to prevent the 

 parasite getting hold. The Antennophortoi made no attempt to transfer 

 itself to other ^ s. Its host occasionally attempted to brush it away 

 when feeding larvae, as, owing to the position of the parasite, the ant 

 could not reach the mouths of the larvfe. This ant never seemed to 

 leave the chamber that I first found it in, as it was there every day I 

 looked for it. On November 12th, 1909, I removed this Antennophonts 

 from its host. It gripped the point of a needle so fiercely, that some 

 force was required to dislodge it. Thus it is easy to understand that 

 the ants could not remove these parasites themselves, even if they 

 wished. I put this Antennophorus in a nest of Lasiiis niger, where it 

 remained stationary, waving its " feelers" to and fro. Several ants 

 touched it with their antennae, and went away. At last an ant seized 

 it by one of its " feelers." The Anten)iophorm instantly clung to the 

 ant's head, the ant, meanwhile, running backwards in great agitation. 

 At last the ant released its grip of the Antennophorus, which immediately 

 ran with extraordinary quickness along the left side of the ant, and 

 stationed itself on the left side of the abdomen. The ant writhed and 

 rolled over and over, but could not get rid of its burden. For some 

 hours after the ant showed signs of discomfort, but eventually seemed 

 to become resigned to its burden. Several other ants examined the 

 parasite, but made no attempt to remove it. I saw the parasite the 

 next day in the same position on its host, but since then I have been 

 unable to find it. A great many ants in the above-mentioned nest of 

 L. fuliginosus, carried on the the top of the thorax numbers of a small 

 oblong white parasite, which seemed to cause the ants considerable 

 discomfort. 



Aphides of Lasius niger. 



By W. C. CRAWLEY, B.A., F.E.S. 

 On August 31st, 1895, I found three aphides in a nest of L. niger, 

 two of which I secured. They were moving about among the ants, and 

 were not attached to grass roots, as the common species of aphis kept 

 by this ant usually is. These aphides were different from any others 

 that I had ever found in ants' nests, and the full-grown ones were of 

 a considerable size, fully ^ inch in length. They were creamy-white 



