l8g5.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 223 



Solenopsis debilis Mayr.— Living under stones most of the 

 time with other ants, and at one side of their nest, and have their 

 own roads and galleries. I have a small undetermined mite 

 which is parasitic upon the larva of this ant. It fastens itself to 

 the larva midway between the thorax and abdomen, and can only 

 be determined there by the use of a lens, it is so near the color 

 of the ant's larva. 



Solenopsis debilis Mayr. var. is met with occasionally ; has 

 same habit of living at one side of nest with other species of ants. 



In the determination of the above species of this group I am 

 indebted to Mr. L. O. Howard, Mr. Theo. Pergande and Mr. 

 C. L. Marlatt. of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C, and to the Academy of Natural Sciences, of 

 Philadelphia. In the study of the American Formicidae, the 

 American student has many difficulties to encounter, one of 

 which is suitable literature giving the descriptions of the species 

 already found, which seems to be very hard to obtain, most of 

 the literature in this line being either French or German. In 

 studying the literature of this group I have found but very few 

 descriptions sufficiently explicit to enable one to determine the 

 species described. I have now over two hundred and fifty 

 cards in my catalogue of American and English literature, 

 pertaining to Formicidae. I have still more ants of this dis- 

 trict that are not yet determined, and in all probability will 

 find more as I continue the search. So far as I have con- 

 sulted the literature on ants, I find but two writers that mention 

 anything upon mites being found with ants. The first one is by 

 Asa Fitch, his First and Second Report of the Noxious Insects of 

 New York, page 153, and the other is that of H. C. McCook, on 

 the honey ants, page 68, and a third, which I quote from memory, 

 by Lubbock, where he speaks of the intelligence of ants. My 

 intention is to make a catalogue, as complete as I can, of the 

 literature pertaining to our American Formicidae and their hosts. 

 Termes flavipes is a very plentiful species in the locality in 

 which I have been studying. I should say that there are nearly 

 a thousand Termes nests in stumps, railroad ties and under 

 stones, but I have not as yet heard of any material damage done 

 by them, but I am of the opinion that if their progress is not 

 checked by the aid of some of our Economic Entomologists, 

 serious results will surely follow, and that in the near future. 



