SOCIAL AND SOLITARY ANTS 



becomes overpopulated, a swarm will leave the hillock, 

 the females become mated, and a fresh colony is founded. 

 The Green Woodpecker is a great enemy of this species, 

 and its cousin of the wood, and by means of his long 

 sticky tongue he soon levies toll upon them. 



The Black, or Garden, Ant {Lasius niger), House 

 Ant (My r mica molesta), and Yellow Ant {Lasius flavus)^ 

 are other common species, and mention must also be 

 made of the Wood Ant {Formica rufa, Fig. 41) which 



Fig vi 



Wood Ahr maU- 



inhabits fir and other woods, and constructs a large 

 hillock consisting of soil, pieces of twigs, and other 

 material. When the community is at its height, and 

 its citizens are all busily occupied, a wonderful sight is 

 presented when one examines the countless numbers 

 of which the hillock, or home, is made up. 



The aforementioned are, it is almost unnecessary to 

 point out, social creatures, but in the Fossores we make 

 acquaintance with their solitary cousins. The Solitary 

 Ant {Mutilla europcea), and Digger, or Sand Wasp {Amono- 

 phila campestris), are two of these, and there are only 

 two kinds of individuals (male and female) in each 



89 



