THE RED MEADOW ANT 



ORDER X. HYMENOPTERA, OR ANTS, BEES, 

 WASPS, SAWFLIES, ICHNEUMONS, AND 



OTHERS 



We now reach the last Order of British Insects, the 

 Hymenoptera, and perhaps the most important of all. 

 More than one half of those with which we are con- 

 cerned belong to the Group Aciileata, commencing with 

 the Ants, and ending with the Bees. All these insects 

 are Stingers, and the remainder (from the Ruby Wasp 

 to the Ichneumons) are Non-Stingers. 



Of the communal instincts of some of these hymenop- 

 terous insects, and the solitary habits of others, as also 

 the economic uses of several of them, we have something 

 to record later, and may at once concentrate attention upon 

 the Heterogyna which embraces the Social Ants, of which 

 there are over two thousand known species. The Red 

 Meadow Ant {Myrmica rubra) is the first representative 

 which calls for notice. Its name tells of its colour, and 

 it is one of the most familiar. Ants are social creatures, 

 living in communities, but as an individual the Ant is 

 probably not highly-organised in intelligence. Yet, all 

 work together co-operatively for the benefit of the 

 whole, the welfare of the community being the impelling 

 motive. The labour is divided, each one has its allotted 

 task, and the concern with which invasion, or distur- 



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