29 



Materials and Methods 



Three small (ca 500 workers) colonies of S^. invicta and 

 one larger colony (ca 10,000 workers) of S^. richteri (the 

 only colony of this species that was available) were infected 

 by allowing them to consume diseased pupae of _S. geminata . 

 The colonies of S_. invicta were fed 15 selected pupae in 

 the advanced stages of infection on each of the following 

 days: Colony #1, days 1 and 3; colony #2, days 1, 2, and 

 3; colony #3, days 1, 3, and 5. The colony of S^. richteri was 

 fed 50 selected pupae on one occasion. 



The colonies were examined 3 weeks after the final 

 feeding to determine the initial rate of infection, and 

 at monthly intervals thereafter. Pupae old enough (judged 

 by eye development) to exhibit pathognomonic signs if infec- 

 ted were examined individually against a black background 

 with a stereomicroscope illuminated by an annular fiber 

 optic. All, or a maximum of 1,000, of these pupae were 

 examined from each colony. 



Ants of other species were gifts from colleagues or 

 were collected after mating flights and reared as described 

 in General Materials and Methods. Identifications of species 

 were made or confirmed by Dr. Daniel P. Wojcik, Agricultural 

 Research Service, USDA, Gainesville, or by Mr. James Trager, 

 Department of Entomology and and Nematology, University 

 of Florida. These ants were also fed selected diseased 



