72 THE ARGENTINE ANT. 



insects" (family Cercopidte) were also present in the same nest, 

 attached to straws of grass. These were apparently protected from 

 the ants by the wet, sticky secretion which surrounded them. This 

 is the only instance, however, in which the presence of these insects 

 has been recorded in the colonies. 



Sowbugs (Oniscidae) apparently go among the Argentine ants with 

 impunity. These little crustaceans are often found in the ant 

 nest, especially if they are located under boards or boxes in moist 

 places. There does not appear to be any relationship existing, and 

 the ants are apparently indifferent to their ])resence. 



With the exception of two species of mites, which are true inquUines 

 in the ant colonies, the Argentine ant does not pay much attention 

 to the majority of mites and spiders. Mention is made on a later 

 page of certain spiders which prey upon the ants to a limited extent. 

 The cattle tick ( Margaropus annulatus Say) flourishes with undi- 

 minished vigor in the ant-infested region, and the same may be said 

 of the "red mite" of the orange and the red spider of ornamental 

 plants {Tetranychus himaculatus Harv.). 



INQUILINES. 



Only two true inqiiilines, both mites, have thus far been found in 

 the colonies of the Argentine ant. These were ftrst discovered at 

 Baton Rouge by the senior author in 1908, and were subsequently 

 found in various localities and in nests of various kinds, usually in 

 those located in masses of decaying vegetation or litter. Soon after 

 they were first found specimens were sent to Dr. L. O. Howard, who 

 submitted them to Mr. Nathan Banks, of the Bureau of Entomology. 

 Mr. Banks found them to be new, and his descriptions of them were 

 published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, volume 1, pages 

 263 and 264 (1908), together with notes on their habits, by the senior 

 author. 



NATURAL CONTROL. 



As compared with most injurious insects which reach great abun- 

 dance the Argentine ant is remarkably free from natural enemies, 

 and very few of these have been noted during the course of our inves- 

 tigations, while even these few are of little importance. No true 

 parasites of this ant have been observed, and apparently the only 

 enemies are i)redatory ones. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 

 INSECTS AND SPIDERS. 



In 1909 Mr. Harper Dean observed a small cockroach capturing 

 Argentine ant workers in a room in Baton Kouge, La. This insect 

 from time to time caught up and ate workers which were traveling 



