140 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



side of the nests or in the foliage close by for mosquitos, &c. I 

 have seen it approach and capture a mosquito. With the ex- 

 ception of the spider and a flat scale on the inner portion of the 

 topleavesof the nests, it is unusual to find any of the insects enumer- 

 ated in the ant nests proper. Once a single green geometer was 

 found in an empty chamber near a nest entrance — maybe an 

 apartment intended for visitors. I have taken home the 

 geometers and cared for them most tenderly, but they languish 

 in captivity, and I have obtained a very small percentage of the 

 perfect insects, one of which is now placed before you. 



The last of the ants' particular chums I shall deal with are the 

 larvae and pupae of the handsome lycaenid butterflies, Arhopala 

 eupolis, A. meander, A. amytis, and flypolyccena phorbas. The 

 eggs are deposited on a tree where the ants abound. Several 

 species of Eucalyptus and some kinds of Terminalia are frequently 

 selected by the Arhopala butterflies, and Clerodendrons have an 

 attraction for //. phorbas. The larvae of the former twist or fold 

 a leaf, and fasten it, so as to form a retiring apartment. In this 

 pupation also takes place ; but the ants, with a view to make the 

 chrysalids more secure, frequently do a little web-spinning as well, 

 leaving but one aperture, through which the butterfly finds its 

 way ; but, with all their attention, a rather large dipterous fly 

 succeeds in depositing eggs on many of the larvae. Owing to 

 this parasite many of the pupse may be found dead. These 

 species usually feed and pupate alone, though always with a 

 number of ants in attendance ; but //. phorbas larvae and 

 chrysalids may be found side by side, with a leaf or two and ant 

 web enveloping them. The butterfly larvae are never in the 

 company of other insects, being in trees by themselves. Even 

 though a butterfly fails to emerge the ants do not attempt to eat 

 the dead pupae. 



Fortunately these green ants are not provided with stings like 

 the fierce " bulldogs," "jumpers," " greenheads," and others, but 

 their mandibles are exceedingly sharp, and when they take hold 

 they hang on with great determination, and will suft'er being 

 squeezed or torn in two rather than let go. A single ant on the 

 neck or up the sleeve can make himself decidedly disagreeable. 

 So when one blunders against a big nest in the course of building, 

 and fairly bristling with its workers, he has a lively experience, 

 for the insects have a knack of falling upon an intruder and 

 spreading themselves over him in a very short space of time. 

 They never display the white feather. If they are disturbed in 

 the least they assume most antagonistic attitudes, stand on their 

 middle and hind legs, strike out with their forelegs and wave 

 their antennae, and plainly show that if they can get at anything 

 molesting them they will give a good account of themselves. If 

 a nest with only a sentinel or two in view is touched it is almost 

 immediately covered with its inmates, all ready for a fight. 



