AUSTKALIAN H^MENOPTERA AC'ULEATA. 327 



Heteeo GYNA. 

 FORMICIDiE. 

 TOEMICA RUrONIGBA, Lowfie. 



These ants are very numerous and destructive at Mackay, 

 Queensland, and attack anything and everything that comes in 

 their way. They are not even afraid of the large species of 

 Camponotus, some of which, when attacked, remain perfectly 

 still, with a firm grip on the ground ; but this passive resistance 

 avails them nothing, for they are mercilessly dragged off all the 

 same. 



A tree in my garden (Chinese date-plum ?) was infested to a 

 great extent by green caterpillars, which appeared to feed at 

 night-time, resting during the day under a web spun across a 

 leaf. These ants discovered the tree, and cleared it of the cater- 

 pillars. Although they would sometimes enter the web to in- 

 spect it, they never attacked the caterpillar without first destroy- 

 ing the web, when they would bite the caterpillar till it wriggled 

 out and fell among the ants below, who carried it off. These 

 ants had numerous holes, communicatiug by pathways above 

 ground, if not by subterranean galleries also, throughout the 

 garden. They are one of the most abundant species of ant ; 

 and when alive are of a much blacker colour than when they 

 have been preserved in spirit. They also milk the " waxy white 

 louse " (pou a poche blanche) which infests the sugar-cane. 



OECOPHYLLA VIRESCENS, Fair. 



They take possession of whole trees, gumming up the leaves 

 for their nests with a white semitrans parent sort of paper. They 

 rob beehives, not for the honey, but for the bees themselves. 

 They go to the hive and attack the bees on their arrival. The 

 latter have no chance against the numbers of the ants, and are 

 stung to death and carried triumphantly off to the nests. These 

 ants are very fearless and bold in attacking any one, and are 

 armed with a very painful sting. I have seen them attack a 

 Curculio, but the latter remained perfectly still till the ants left 

 it, probably supposing that it was dead or unfit for food. If 

 any one approaches a tree on which these ants are resting, they 

 raise the front part of the body in a menacing manner. They 

 are found on various trees, Eucalyptus, orange, &c., at Mackay, 

 Queensland. 



