170 



INSECTS AFFECTING THE ORANGE. 



groves of Louisiana and then into Florida by means of oranges im- 

 ported from Mexico at the port of New Orleans.* 



SCAVENGER INSECTS. 



INSECTS FEEDING UPON DEAD WOOD AND BARK. 

 TREE-INHABITING ANTS. 



* Several species of ants which live in trees make their nests in the dead 



wood of the Orange, more especially 

 in twigs and smaller branches which 

 have been killed by frost The wood 

 of these winter-killed shoots being- 

 corky and easily excavated, they are 

 frequently hollowed out by ants, and 

 serve as places of deposit for their 

 eggs and young. 



Cremastoga,stt'r Uneolata (Say). [Fig. 



79.J This is one of the commonest of 



T ^^^/ /'^''~^^^\ ^^^ species which have the above 



habit. It is jet-black, shining, and 

 has a broadly triangular abdomen, 

 which it elevates in a threatening 

 manner when excited. 



The species is very abundant upon 

 Oak and other forest trees. It at- 

 tends the various honey-producing 

 insects fonnd upon trees and feeds 

 upon their honey-dew without doing 

 any violence to the insects them- 

 selves. Its i)resence upon the orange 

 tree, therefore, is of very slight im- 

 portance either for good or evil. 



Other species of ants which have 

 been observed to make their nests in 

 orange twigs probably have the same 

 habits, and if not positively benefi- 

 cial, certainly do little harm to the 

 tree, and none of them gnaw or do injury to the growing parts. 



*An Australian moth, Ophideres fuUonica (L.), is said to pierce oranges with its pro- 

 boscis and suck the juices of tlie pulp. In an article entitled "Les Lepidoptiires :i 

 Trompe Perforante, Destructeurs des Oranges," M. J. Kiinckel describes and ligures 

 the i^roboscis of this insect, and shows its special adaptation to this end. (Coniptea 

 Rendus des Stances de I'Acad^niie des Sciences, Paris, 30 Aoftt 1875.) 



Flo. 79. — Cremastogn uter Uneolata : a, 6, woiker 

 major; c, head of do.: d, female; e, wiuj;; 

 /, worker minor. (After McCook.) 



