INJURIES CAUSED BY ANTS. 



129 



and remain perfectly motionless when disturbed. Their mixed colora- 

 tion of neutral gray and brown is also admirably adapted for conceal- 

 ment upon all kinds of bark, and they are therefore not easily detected 

 at their work. 



Remedies. The simplest means of destroying this pest is to gather up 

 and burn during the winter the fallen branches which have been cut by 

 them, and which contain their eggs or lamp. Where persimmon bushes 

 are abundant this will prove a work of some labor, but will be abso- 

 lutely necessary if the Japan persimmon is cultivated for profit. 



The G-inller is not likely to prove a very serious pest to the Orange, 

 but should it ever become such some advantage may be gained by trap- 

 ping the perfect beetles as soon as they begin to appear in the fall. 

 Tliis can be done by means of sirup daubed upon trees and fences. 

 The sugared spots must be visited at night with a lantern, and the 

 beetles, which will be found attracted to these spots, can be detected 

 and destroyed. The sirup may be mixed with a little beer, wine, or 

 alcohol to render it intoxicating, so that the beetles found feeding upon 

 it will not be disturbed by the light of the lantern and try to escape. 



INJURIES CAUSED BY ANTS. 

 SOLENOPSIS XYLONI McCook. 



[Fig. 51.J 



FIG. 51. Solenopsis xyloni: a. ant from above; 6, same, side view; c, same, view of head; d t queen, 



side view. (After McCook. ) 



The well-known carnivorous habits of this ant it is one of the com- 

 monest and most effective destroyers of the Cotton Worm would lead 

 us to reject any but the most positive and direct evidence that it fed 

 upon living plants. There is, unfortunately, no room to doubt that it 

 does frequently and seriously injure the Orange by gnawing away the 

 6521 o I 9 



