273 /1<^' %/ 



Van der Goot (P.)- Verdere onderzoekingen onitrenl d«^4)Bb(»o^ '^1/ 

 mische beteekenis der gramang-mier. [FurtlierNlnyestigations 

 regarding the economic Importance of the Gram£tng-aut j -q- ^^"^ 

 Meded. v. h. Proefstation Midden- Java, Salatiga, no. ""^^^V-IQI ffj — "-"^ 

 122 pp., 35 tables, 6 plates. 



The life-history of the gramang ant, PJagiolepis longipes, is here 

 described in detail, though the major portion of this paper deals 

 with investigations as to its economic importance [see this Revieiv, 

 Ser. A, iii, p. 663 ; v, p. 143]. The egg-stage lasts for about 18-20 

 days, the larval stage 16-20 days, and the pupal stage usually 20 days, 

 the total duration being thus between 50 and 65 days in the case 

 of the workers. The pupal stage of the queen occupies from 30 to 

 34 days. The winged males and females only appear during the 

 second half of the east monsoon, after a more or less prolonged 

 drought. 



P. longipes is a scavenger, feeding on the dead bodies of other insects 

 and small animals and rarely, if ever, attacking living insects. Both 

 the larvae and full-gro\^Ti individuals of HelopeUis are unmolested 

 if alive, though their dead bodies are carried off. The helpless larvae 

 and pupae of the beetle infesting the pods of Tephmsia, Araecerus 

 fasciculatus, were carried away in the laboratory, but the ant was 

 never observed to penetrate into growing pods in order to attack 

 the larvae. P, longipes is therefore unimportant as a destroyer of 

 insect pests. It also feeds on the honey glands which are found in 

 many plants and are common on Leguminosae. This explains its 

 numerous visits to shade- trees {Caesalpinia, Deguelia, Alhizzia, etc.) 

 and Crotalaria striata, though these may be uninfested by Aphids 

 or Coccids. The gramang ant also abounds in places where fallen 

 leaves and other debris are plentiful and Aphids and Coccids are 

 scarce. This was often noticed in the cacao plantations and, during 

 the dry weather, in the teak woods. The presence of the dead bodies 

 of numerous insects, on which the ant can feed after Aphids and 

 Coccids have become scarce, may account for this. The highest 

 altitude at which P. longipes occurs is about 3,300 feet ; at altitudes 

 above about 3,900 feet it is rarely met with, being replaced by a big 

 brown ant, believed to be Myrmicaria hrunnea. This restriction in 

 range does not affect the plantations of Coffea robusta, which are 

 mostly below 3,300 feet. The lesser injury by Coccus {Leccmium) 

 viridis (green scale) at and above this altitude is due, partly to the 

 absence of P. longipes, but mainly to the development of the scale 

 being retarded by the lower temperature. Mites are the chief enemies 

 of P. lotigipes. Tyroglyphus anstralasiae, Oudms., feeds on the eggs 

 while T. krameri, Berl., and Anoetus longipes, Oudms., live attached 

 to the workers. A Tachinid fly, Bengalia latro, De Meij., was repeatedly 

 observed robbing the nests of Dolichoderus bituberculatus (black cacao 

 ant) and P. lo)igipes and it probably attacks other ants living above 

 ground. Poultry, small quails and other birds feed on the pupae and 

 queens of P. longipes. In a previous paper [see this Revieiv, Ser. A, 

 iii, p. 663] the author was of opinion that P. longijjes could not be said 

 to protect Coccus viridis by building covered passagges, or carrying 

 the scales about or destroying their natural enemies. The only way 

 in which P. longipes favours the scale is by facilitating the evacuation 

 (C375) Wt.P5/131. 1,500. 7.17. B.&F.Ltd. Gp.11/3. A 



