WHITE ANTS 



openly on leaves, or form galls on twigs and pass their 

 lives therein. 



We know of no birds which prey on the typical 

 stinging wasps and hornets, but numbers of birds 

 feed on the destructive saw-flies. The woodpecker 

 digs the larvae out of their hiding places in the wood 

 with its sharp, hard bill. 



Ichneumon flies render good service to man by 

 using caterpillars as hosts for their larvae. 



Ants are highly valuable as insect destroyers. 

 Some species are a pest in dwellings, but, with very 

 few exceptions, ants are of considerable economic 

 value. Some kinds attack and destroy insect pests 

 on and in the ground, while others seek them in the 

 herbage and trees. 



WHITE ANTS 



The termites, or " white ants," as they are popularly 

 termed, are not ants at all. They are grouped 

 under a separate order, viz., Isoptera. Some species 

 build mounds and others live underground. They 

 feed on dead, dying, and diseased vegetation. Some 

 species attack and destroy living vegetation, such 

 as the roots of shrubs and young trees, and play havoc 

 with the woodwork of houses, timber, fencing poles, 

 stacks of hay, forage, etc. Their ravages in South 

 Africa constitute a severe handicap on the people. 

 Birds are the chief enemies of these destructive 

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