390 



YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



These insects are not true ants, but resemble them somewhat in size 

 and general appearance. They correspond in their social habits to 

 ants and bees in that each colony includes workers, soldiers, males and 

 females (winged or wingless), and a single royal pair. a 



BLACK ANTS. 



The work of the true ants in wood somewhat resembles that of white 

 ants, and is done for the same or similar purposes and under similar 



conditions, but is much less common 

 or injurious. It usually consists in 

 the extension of the work or damage 

 started by other wood-boring insects, 

 through the galleries of which the 

 black ant gains entrance to the inner 

 wood, which is sometimes honey- 

 combed. 



CARPENTER BEES. 



The work of this class of wood- 

 boring bees is shown in figure 53. 

 The injury consists of large augerhole- 

 like tunnels in exposed solid dry wood 

 of buildings and other structures. It 

 is most common in soft woods, such 

 as pine, poplar, redwood, and the like, 

 the latter being especially liable to 

 attack in California and the Southwest. 



NUT WEEVILS AND THEIR ALLIES. 



The characteristic work of this class 

 of insects is a mined or mealy condi- 

 tion of the kernel or inner parts, the 

 surface being pierced by round holes 

 and otherwise injured or destroyed. 

 The loss results from the worthless 

 condition of the infested material as 

 an article of commerce, as food, and 

 for planting, whether naturally or 

 artificially. 



Many kinds of insects are respon- 

 sible for injuries of this kind, such as 

 weevils and other beetles, caterpillars of moths, and gall flies. In most 

 cases where the inner portion of nuts or seeds is injured by weevils, the 



For further information on these insects, see article by* C. L. MarJatt, in Bulletin 

 No. 4, new series, of the Bureau of Entomology. 



FIG. 53. Work of carpenter bee, Xylocopa 

 orpifex, in redwood lumber from San 

 Jose, Cal.: a, entrance; b, galleries; c, 

 cells; d, larva; e, adult slightly re- 

 duced. (Original.) 



