THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. at 



The Ants, Bees, and Wasps frequently live in large communi- 

 ties, in which case they are the most intelligent of all insects. 

 The work of the nests is accomplished by undeveloped females, 

 called neuters, which form the bulk of the community. 



In ants, the neuters are wingless, and the males and females 

 only acquire wings for their "marriage flight," after which the 

 males perish, and the few females which escape the pursuit of 

 their numerous enemies, either return to established nests, or 

 become the foundresses of new colonies. Ants are far more nu- 

 merous and annoying in hot climates than with us ; but the so- 

 called "White Ants," or Termites, which have very similar 

 habits, but are still more destructive, though happily not British, 

 belong to the Order Ncuroptera. Several of our British ants 

 form nests in woods, fields, or gardens, and one little yellow ant 

 {Myrmica Domestica) is common in houses, where it is some- 

 times very annoying from its numbers. Like nearly all our 

 noxious insects, it is an importation from abroad, and was almost 

 unknown fifty years ago. It is believed to be a Brazilian species, 



Red Ant (Myrmica Rubra), Male, Magnified. 



which was first imported into the United States, and thence to 

 England. Outdoor ants are very fond of the sweet substance, 

 called honey-dew, which exudes from the bodies of Aphides, or 

 plant-lice. These they sometimes keep in their nests, some- 

 times tend on the plants where they feed, and sometimes even 

 superintend their breeding. Many other insects are looked after 

 by ants in a similar manner, or are found in their nests ; and it is 

 no exaggeration to say that ants possess a much greater variety 

 of domestic animals than ourselves. Concerning the metamor- 

 phoses of ants, I will only say here that they are most assiduous 



