622 On Antennophorus Uhltnanni and Lasius mixtus. 



symmetrically as follows : — two (one on the top of the other) 

 on either side of the head and on the abdomen, one on the 

 middle of the dorsal region, and one on either side. It 

 would appear that the Antennophorus is attracted to the 

 young ants on account of the care with which they are looked 

 after and fed by their older companions. These latter do not 

 seek to drive away the parasites, which spread themselves a 

 little later. At the moment when a queen throws off her 

 nymphal envelope the workers come to her assistance, and as 

 the workers carry the Antennophorij these latter generally 

 take advantage of the position to pass over to the body of the 

 newly emerged queen. 



The Antennophorus itself feeds exclusively on the nutritive 

 fluid disgorged by the ants. Fifty ZasjV carrying Antenno- 

 phori were placed in an observation nest and left without 

 food. Eight days later the ants were in perfect condition, 

 but ten or more Antennophori had already died of hunger. 

 A tiny droplet of honey tinted with Prussian blue was allowed 

 to run over the lower face of the glass plate which formed 

 the roof of the nest. A large number of ants, nearly every 

 one of \\hich carried an Antennophorus^ ranged themselves as 

 closely as they could be packed all round the drop. The 

 Antennophori had no share in the meal, and they were obliged 

 to retire a little because there was no room for them between 

 the heads of their hosts and the glass to which they were 

 applied. The ants of this brood had acquired the habit of 

 placing themselves, crowded one against tiie otlier, in one 

 coiner of the nest, and there they came with their crops well 

 filled after the meal of blue honey, and there they disgorged 

 it before the mouths of their comrades who had had none. 

 Kow the ant in the act of disgorging opens its mandibles wide. 

 The peristaltic movements of the oesophagus and the move- 

 ments of the pharynx brought up the globules of honey, the 

 blue colour of which made them readily visible, and they 

 formed a little drop in front of the mouth. While the fasting 

 ant was eating the honey thus disgorged, the Antennophorits 

 riding on its head took its share. To do this it pushed itself 

 forward and thrust its rostrum into the droplet. Generally, 

 while holding itself in position by means of the two hinder 

 pairs of legs, it attached itself by means of the forward pair 

 to the head of the disgorging ant. Very often when the 

 fasting ant had ended its meal and was retiring one would see 

 the Antennophorus try to keep its hold on the disgorging ant. 

 The two Lasii generally lend themselves to this prolonga- 

 tion of the meal, and, if they are slightly separated from 

 one another, the Antennophorus stretcnes itself to its full 



