HYMENOPTERA. 277 



i great anno overing the trees with their ne I 



attacking the mango-gatherers. 



Control- The nests are conspicuous and easil) opened and 



killed by spraying or burning. 



LMPONOTUS COMPRESSUS, Fb. 



Formica com pressa, Fabr., Mant. Ins.. 1, 307 (1787). 

 Camponotus compressus, Bingham, Faun. Ind. Hyni.. II, 351-352, 

 i. 101); Lefroy, Ind. Ins. Life, p. 21,1,. ff. 125 12s. 



( amponotus compressus. worker. The small figure shows the 

 natural size. K Iriginal.) 



Distribution. -Throughout the Plains of Southern India (not 

 found in Malabar). 



Lifehistory. -Nest in the ground, often at the foot of a tree. 



Food. — A general scavenger, feeding in the field on honey-dew 

 dead insects, etc., and attacking sugar in the house. 



Status. -Indirectly a pest as it tends and protects Scale-insects, 

 Aphids, Membracids, etc., which may themselves do considerable 

 damage by sucking the juice of plants. 



Control. — (i) The nests are fairly easily found and destroyed. 

 (2) In the cases of trees badly attacked by Scales which 

 were attended by these ants, it has been found that a band of tar 

 and crude oil emulsion applied around the trunk of the tree 

 keep- the ants from ascending, thus leaving the Scales open to 

 attack by their natural enemies. 



Observation. -This ant has been noticed in active defem 1 

 Scale-insect against a small parasitic fly which was attempting to 

 parasitize the Scale. 



AIMDiE. 



APIS DORSATA, Fb. 

 Apis dorsata, Fabr., Ent. Syst, II. 328 (1793) ; Bingham, Faun. Ind. 

 Hym., I, 557-558. t. 4. t. 11. 



