December. "08] JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 339 



iris roots in which Forers form were found may have reached Ham- 

 burg from Japan or Siberia by way of New York, I am not convinced 

 that neolevinodis is an American insect. M. champlaini was taken 

 by Forel himself in a meadow near Quebec. The worker of this sub- 

 species is described as being very similar to that of neolevinodis, but 

 as having teeth instead of spines on the epinotum. The sculpture of 

 the head and thorax is coarser than in the European ruginodis, the 

 petiole and postpetiole are smooth except for a few lateral furrows, 

 and the antenna are as short as those of neolevinodis or even shorter. 

 As Quebec has long been in direct and intimate communication wdth 

 Europe, it is not at all improbable that M. champlaini is merely a 

 rather pronounced imported variety of levinodis. Finally, I may 

 state that although I have brought together a very large collection of 

 Myrmicas from all parts of temperate North America, I have never 

 been able to find any forms allied to levinodis except the two men- 

 tioned above. I am therefore of the opinion that the true M. rubra, 

 as recently defined by Emery, is not indigenous to North America. 



The preceding remarks have merety a theoretical bearing, but the 

 introduction of M. levinodis into the United States may have some 

 economic importance, for this ant is the most disagreeable of the pale- 

 arctic Myrmicas. It forms much more populous colonies than scahri- 

 nodis, sidcinodis, hrevinodis and their numerous varieties, and its 

 workers are aggressive and sting severely. 



It is very fond of attending aphicls and, unlike our timid native 

 Myrmicas which live in the retirement of woods, bogs, heaths and 

 waste places generally, it prefers to nest in cultivated soil. Hence it 

 may become a nuisance in lawns and dooryards, like the fire-ant 

 (Solenopsis geniinata) of the Southern States. It is, of course, im- 

 possible to ascertain how long the typical levinodis and its variety 

 hriiesi have been living in Massachusetts, or whether their spread will 

 be checked by any of our native ants. The aggressive character of 

 the imported forms would seem to indicate that they will meet with 

 little or no opposition from the allied indigenous species, and as levi- 

 nodis flourishes in Norway and the Alps, it will hardly find our severe 

 winters a serious obstacle to the growth and multiplication of its colo- 

 nies. It may be advisable, therefore, to keep this belligerent immi- 

 grant under observation. 



W. M. Wheelee. 

 Bussey Institution, 



Forest Hills, Boston,' Mass., 



October 1, 1908. 



