28 



JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



[Vol. ^ 



Table L Daily Egg Record of a Qieen 



Larva. — The larvae (PI. 2, fig. 2) of this species resemble superfi- 

 cially the larvae of any other of the Myrmicine ants except, perhaps, 

 in size. They are white in color and covered with double-hooked hairs 

 which enable them to cohere in packets to be carried by workers. 

 The posterior end is large and tapers toward the anterior end, which is 

 considerably curved. This curvature becomes less pronounced as 

 the larva grows older but is never entirely obliterated. Larvae were 

 frequently observed, while lying on their back, to straighten out their 

 curved body by lifting their head and dropping it back onto the body. 

 These movements are repeated at short intervals and the mandibles 

 open at each up-movement and close on the down-movement. These 

 moving larvae were generally fed by workers at once, or soon after 

 making these apparent supplications. 



Larvae are fed regurgitated food by the workers. Workers, in arti- 

 ficial nests, were often seen to place small bits of crushed kafir seed 

 and torn parts of their own larvae and pupae on the body of the larvae 

 near the mouthparts where the larvae were seen to bite them. 



As the larva becomes full grown a large undigested meconium is 

 voided from the alimentary tract. Workers were seen at times aiding 

 the larva to get rid of this mass by tugging at it while it was being cast 

 off. This change marks the end of larval development and the be- 

 ginning of the semi-pupal stage. 



The length of the larval stage is highly variable, depending on 

 weather conditions. During midsummer larvae were reared to the 

 semi-pupal stage in 21 days, while others will live through the winter. 

 A single larva was under observation from October 10 to May 12 when 



