122 INSECT BEHAVIOR 



No living thing turned to give battle. Outnumbered a thousand to 

 one none could combat such overwhelming odds. Ahead of the 

 army rushed dozens of insects, driven from their habitats and fleeing 

 like animals before a forest fire. Some would escape by a miracle, 

 but the rule was a few short hops or springs and then death at the 

 hands of the multitude. There were roaches and crickets, big cater- 

 pillars and beetles, ants of other species, bugs and huge centipedes and 

 great numbers of spiders all fleeing for their lives. 



Roaches and spiders were sought in particular. They appeared to 

 be first choice. They were torn to shreds at once and carried away in 

 still squirming pieces to the nests. Caterpillars, if hairless, were also 

 in favor, then spiders, bugs and so on down the list to the less palatable 

 creatures. 



What I had heard at first was not the roar of the army itself, but 

 rather the fleeing host of other insects driven from their lairs. I saw 

 one large spider escape death by a hair's breadth, by jumping at the 

 instant of capture from a leaf into the air and there hanging by a 

 silken thread until the danger had passed. Other insects that occa- 

 sionally escaped were crickets and grasshoppers, their powerful 

 springing legs carrying them beyond the line of march. A curious 

 fact was that the ants never crossed the more deeply trodden footpath 

 in the center of the trail, consequently those refugees who were for- 

 tunate enough to pass this line, were safe, and escaped unmolested. 



A large roach endeavored to escape by crossing the main front of 

 the army. The creature made several powerful jumps, but each 

 time it touched the ground in order to make another spring, its legs 

 were grasped by the fearless ants until at length their added weight 

 became too great for the roach to lift. In the end it fell, after a brave 

 effort to be free, and was instantly torn to bits and carried to the rear. 



Upon being captured and divided, the unfortunate victim is at once 

 carried back through the lines to the temporary nest of the colony. 



