168 ANTS, BEES AND WASPS 



curved and sharply pointed, make them most formidable foes. 

 When fighting, an Amazon seizes the head of its opponent between 

 its mandibles and drives the points with great force into its brain. 



It is a well-known fact that ants are extremely fond of the 

 " honey-dew " excreted by aphides, and many species are in 

 the habit of visiting the plants on which these troublesome 

 pests swarm, to obtain a supply of their favourite food. Not only 

 do the ants " milk " the aphides by gently stroking them with 

 their antennae, and so induce the insects to discharge the sugary 

 fluid from two little tubes situated at the extremity of their bodies, 

 but they guard them from the attacks of enemies, and even build 

 sheds and covered ways for their protection. Some species, amongst 

 which is the Little Yellow Ant (L. flaws), are regular miniature 

 cattle farmers, keeping and tending large flocks or herds of these 

 " ant cows " in the most intelligent and scientific manner. Should 

 too many aphides swarm at one spot, and so make their food supply 

 insufficient, the ants will remove some of their "cows" to fresh 

 pastures. In late September and early October the ants care- 

 fully collect the eggs of a species of aphides from the daisy plants 

 and keep them in the nest until the following spring. Then when 

 the young aphides emerge, and the weather is warm enough, 

 they are carried out of the nest by the worker ants and placed 

 on the tender young daisy plants. There they are carefully 

 guarded and regularly milked by the little farmers. 



But aphides are not the only insects kept and tended by 

 ants. Several species of beetles are habitually found living in the 

 nests, where they are treated as honoured guests or pets of the 

 colony. Some of these beetles are most grotesque and fantastic 

 in appearance, while others are entirely dependent on the kind- 

 ness and generosity of their hosts, who feed them from their mouths 

 in the same way as they feed their larva?. It is not quite evident 

 why the ants harbour so many strangers within their gates, but 

 it is probable that some of the beetles secrete some sweet fluid of 

 which their hosts are fond, for the ants may be often seen licking 

 the sides of their beetle-guests with every sign of pleasure and 

 enjoyment. Besides these beetles, several insects belonging to 

 other orders, including the larvae of certain butterflies, and a 

 small white crustacean allied to the wood-louse, are found living 

 within ants' nests. 



