EELATIONS WITH OTHER ARTHROPODA. 63 



Workers are often seen carrying i)lant lice and scale insects, and 

 this fact, coupled with the observed phenomenal spread of scales in 

 ant-infested territory, brings one inevitably to the conclusion that 

 the workers carry and establish these pests upon new growth and 

 upon new host plants. 



During March, 1910, a considerable number of adult female scale 

 insects were found embedded in a band of ''tree sticky" placed around 

 a magnolia tree to repel the ants. This band was located 4 feet from 

 the ground. The scale insects were a species of Odonaspis * which 

 is found upon Bermuda grass close to the surface of the ground. 

 There was apparently no other way for these insects to get up the 

 tree except through the transporting agencies of the ants. 



On sugar cane the ants have frequently been seen carrying around 

 small sugar-cane mealy-bugs. They do not appear to pick them up 

 uidess they are rudely disturbed or frightened, but the fact remams 

 that they have been seen transporting them. Experiments made by 

 the junior author showed that the ants would pay no attention to the 

 larval mealy-bugs until after the latter had commenced to feed on the 

 canes and produce exudations. The following three paragraphs are 

 quoted from our notes: 



Placed a piece of paper on which were about 2,000 "seed mealy-bugs" across a 

 strong ant trail, and weighted it down flat, so that the ants could not get underneath 

 it. At first the ants were bewildered at losing their trail, and ran over the paper in 

 all directions. They absolutely refused to notice the young mealy-bugs, and after a 

 while reestablished their trail across the paper, and commenced traveling the same 

 as before. The mealy-bugs were swarming directly across the trail, biat the ants paid 

 no attention to them. 



This seems to indicate that the ants have no dealings with the mealy-bugs until 

 they begin to secrete the juices from the cane stalks. These young mealy-bugs had 

 never fed, being taken directly from the tube in which they were hatched. Thus 

 they would probably not have excreted any liquid. At the same time the ants did 

 not show any hostility toward them. 



The eggs are out of reach of the ants when they are enveloped in the egg mass, as 

 the waxy covering appears to entangle the feet of the ants, being slightly sticky and 

 adhesive. The egg stage and young larval stages are therefore removed from the 

 sphere of the ants' influence. 



Even though the actual transportation of plant lice, aphides, and 

 mealy-bugs by the ants may not assume much economic importance, 

 there is, nevertheless, no doubt that the ants assist these insects 

 greatly in other ways. They build shelters over them, these consist- 

 ing of fine particles of earth, protectmg them from storms and hin- 

 dering the attacks of parasites. These shelters have been noticed 

 in many dift'erent locaUties. In Bulletm 52, Bureau of Entomology, 

 Mr. E. S. G. Titus gives an illustration of a large shed buUt by the ants 

 over the surface of a persimmon, protecting a number of Florida wax 

 scales {Ceroplastes jloridensis Comst.). These sheds are also present 



i Determined by Mr. E. R. Sasscer. 



