BIOTIC ASSOCIATIONS OF COCKROACHES — ROTH & WILLIS 267 



Family FORMICIDAE 



From the known entomophagous habits of the lower ants (Wheeler, 

 1928), we wonder that there are not more records of ants feeding on 

 cockroaches, because this act must occur frequently. Kirby and 

 Spence (1822) stated that R. Kittoe had observed in Antigua that ants 

 which nested in the roofs would seize a cockroach by the legs so it 

 could not move, kill it, and carry it up to their nest. Hotchkiss (1874) 

 observed ants kill cockroaches on shipboard. Cockroaches attracted 

 to sugar in the pantry were killed and carried off by the ants. The 

 destruction of cockroaches by army ants has been recorded by Bates 

 (1863), Wallace (1891), Beebe (1917, 1919), Howes (1919), and 

 others. Dead and mutilated specimens of Ischnoptera sp. [un- 

 doubtedly Parcohlatta americana (Gurney, personal communication, 

 1958)] are common in the nests of species of Formica in California 

 (Mann, 1911). 



Aphaenogaster picea Emery 



Natural prey. — Ectobius pallidus, U.S.A., Massachusetts (Roth and 

 Willis, 1957). 



Camponotus pennsylvanicus (De Geer) 



Common name. — Carpenter ant. 



Natural prey. — Parcohlatta pensylvanica, U.S.A. (Rau, 1940) : 

 The ants entered traps set up to capture the cockroach and carried off 

 about a dozen adults of both sexes. 



Dorylus (Anomma) nigricans subsp. sjostedi Emery 



Natural prey. — Small cockroach, Belgian Congo (Raignier and van 

 Boven, 1955). 



Dorylus (Anomma) wilverthi Emery 



Natural prey. — Small cockroaches, Belgian Congo (Raignier and 

 van Boven, 1955). 



Dorylus sp. 



Common name. — "Safari ant." 



Natural prey. — Cockroaches, Africa, Lake Victoria (Carpenter, 

 1920) : When the "Safari ants" were hunting, many species of cock- 

 roaches were driven from hiding among dead leaves in the forest. The 

 cockroaches rushed about but easily fell prey to the ants which tore 

 them to bits. 



