10 



Marvels of Insect Life. 



The Spinning Ant. 



In considering the ways of ants one is prepared for almost anything. We 

 know them as creatures of great resource in many ways ; but by what process 

 one of themi arrived at the idea of what is now to be described, is a great 

 mystery. Its accustomed name is the red tree ant.^ and in India it is considered 

 one of the chief pests of a country that has a choice assortment of attentive 

 Insects. But, as in the case of some other Insects that annoy us by the exercise 

 of their natural functions, a little study of their methods is calculated to soften our 

 detestation of them through respect for their cleverness or other admirable quality. 



The popular name of red ant 

 is a misnomer, and the scientific 

 name indicates emerald-green as 

 the colour. The real hue of the 

 worker is described as sherry- 

 brown colour ; it is the female 

 to whom the scientific name 

 refers, and there is a good reason 

 whv she should be green, though 

 why the workers should not be of 

 the same colour is not, at present, 

 so clear. They are not stinging 



♦ ^_^^^__ ^^^^_^^^ ^ ants, so their jaws are the only 



'^^^^^^^j^HJUP^P^^p V weapons of defence and offence. 



^" The red ant — which must 



not be confused with our British 

 red ant "^ — is not confined to 

 India, but is found also in Ceylon, 

 New Guinea, and the tropical 

 parts of Australia and Africa. It 

 lives among the foliage of trees, 

 and constructs its nests of leaves 

 glued or s})un together by their 

 edges and tips. In India new nests 

 are begun about July, when a 

 female may be seen sitting in the centre of a leaf brooding as many grubs as she 

 can cover, as shown in the upper part of the picture on page ii. These are the 

 beginning other family; and at present no attempt is mad(> to construct a nest, 

 because all her efforts are required to feed the grubs. When these have com- 

 pleted their development she has a small company of workers to assist in the 

 feeding of the next batch of grubs. When the latter are almost ready to spin 

 their little cocoons in whidi to change to chrvsalids, their silk-glands are 



Photo by] 



"Brown Bug 



[W. Wcsf 

 Domesticated by the Spinning Ant. 



This scale Insect, which may often be found on the rind of oranges, is kept 

 as " domestic cattle " by the spinning ant in special structures, in order that 

 the ant may benefit by the excretions of the scale Insect. It is here shown 

 magnified to thirty-five times larger than its actual size. 



^ Q£co])liylla .sinara.i.j(lina. 



^ l""<)rmica riila. 



