HYMENOPTERA 



CHAP. 



I 



regions inhabited by these males numerous species of blind ants 



are known, but only in the 

 worker form, and were, or still 

 are, referred to genera called 

 Typhlopone and Anomma. No- 

 thing that could be considered 

 to be a female pertaining to 

 any of these Insects was dis- 

 covered until Gerstaecker de- 

 scribed under the generic name 

 Dicthadia an extraordinary 

 apterous female ant found in 

 Java, and it was suspected 

 that it might be the long- 

 expected female of the male 

 Dorylus and of the worker 



Typhlopone or Anomma. This 

 remained for many years with- 

 out confirmation, but in 1880 

 Trimen announced the dis- 



FIG. 79. Dorylus helvolus. Africa. A, male ; CO very ill South Africa of ail 

 B, female (Dicthadia) ; C, worker major 



opone) \ D, worker minor. (After enormous apterous female ant, 



Emery.) allied to Dicthadia; it had 



been disinterred from a nest of small red ants believed (wrongly) 

 to be Anomma. As Dorylus had been previously found in con- 

 nection with allied worker ants it has since then been clear that 

 notwithstanding the enormous differences existing between these 

 three forms they may all pertain to one (or to closely allied) 

 species. From this summary the student should understand that 

 he will find in myrmecological literature many references to two 

 or three genera that really belong to one species. 



The workers of the Dorylini at present known are without 

 exception quite blind, and are believed to be all of predaceous 

 habits ; it is thought by some that they have no fixed abodes, 

 biit, like the Ecitonini, frequently change their residence, and it 

 has been suggested that in doing so they make use of the nests 

 of other ants as temporary abodes ; all these points are, however, 

 still unsettled, and as there are several genera it is not unlikely 

 that considerable variety will be found to prevail. The driver 

 ants of Africa, belonging to the genus Anomma, are in some 



