66 ANERGATES. 



The genus Anergates was discovered by Schenk,' 

 who found a small community consisting of males, 

 females and workers, which he naturally supposed to 

 belong to one species. Mayr, however, pointed out' 

 that the workers were in fact workers of Tetramorium 

 ccespitum ; and it would appear that while in Strongy- 

 lognathus the workers .are comparatively few, Aner- 

 gates differs from all other ants in having no workers 

 at all. The males and females live with Tetramorium 

 caspitum, and are in several respects very peculiar, — 

 for instance, the male is wingless. One might consider 

 it rather a case of parasitism than of slavery, but the 

 difficulty is that in these mixed nests there are no males, 

 females, or young of Tetramorium. As to this all ob- 

 servers are agreed. It seems quite clear that Aner- 

 gates cannot procure its slaves, if such they are, by 

 marauding expeditions like those of Polyergus ; in the 

 first place, because the Anergates are too few, and 

 secondly, because they are too weak. The whole ques- 

 tion is rendered still more difficult by the fact that 

 neither Von Hagens' nor Forel ever found either larvae 

 or pupae of Tetramorium in the mixed nests. The com- 

 munity consisted of males and females of Anergates, 

 accompanied and tended by workers of Tetramorium 

 ccespitum. The Anergates are absolutely dependent 



• 'Die Nassauischen Ameisen-Species,' Stettin Ent. Zcit. 1853, 

 p. 186. 



^ Eif/rop. Forviicidce, p. 56. 



* Verk. des Natur. Vereines der Prcuss. Blicinlande imd TTVjrf* 

 phalcnt 1867, p. 53. See also V. Hagens. Berl. Ent.Zeit. 1867, p. 102. 



