GREEN HANGING MOTH OF THE APPLE. 81 



who, taking advantage of their helplessness, seize the 

 opportunity to dismember, one by one, each and every 

 one of the stragglers who may be so unfortunate as to 

 fall into their clutches. Again, there are many beetles 

 which appear rare, that are, in fact, quite common; 

 but, as they ascend the branches immediately after 

 emerging from the pupae, and fly only by dusk and 

 after dark, are thus seldom captured either on the 

 wing or at rest, although the very same insects may be 

 easily removed from the wood where they are common. 

 One word as to the little black ant so common in all 

 parts of the State. This little beast is cruel in the 

 extreme, and the manner in which it can dispose of a 

 large beetle is something marvellous. The writer has 

 seen specimens of a large black Carenid beetle (Scara- 

 f>hitcs rotundipennis) } an insect of about two inches in 

 length, hard, and armed with powerful jaws, which had 

 rolled over on its back in the sand, and was unable to 

 right itself. Now is the time for the little black ants, 

 who, in rapidly increasing numbers, commence oper- 

 ations by biting off each tarsus, or foot, separately ; they 

 then tackle the antennae, which are quickly bitten off 

 in the same manner; and the unfortunate captive, who is 

 gradually becoming more helpless, is then assailed by the 

 ants, who sever the cartilaginous part by which the 

 head and the thorax are joined to the body ; and, this 

 being done, the little wretches eat their way into first 

 the thorax, and, having finished clearing this out, 

 tackle the interior of the body portion of the beetle, the 

 poor beetle being still alive. The little black ant is a 

 nuisance, but the quantity of insects which a party of 

 these ants get through is something astonishing ; and 

 one would never think, when watching these tiny 

 creatures at work in the innocent recreation of 

 u milking " aphids, or plant lice, that they were such 

 merciless destrovers of insect life. 



