15 



from their parent colonies were constructed from 15 x 60 mm 

 and 25 x 150 mm disposable plastic petri dishes. Liquid 

 Castone was poured to a depth of ca 5 mm in the smaller 

 dish, allowed to solidify and two or three exit ports were 

 melted into the wall. This small nest, with lid in place, 

 was placed inside the larger dish, the inner walls of which 

 were coated with Fluon. A wad of wet cotton was also placed 

 in the larger dish to help maintain high humidity (the much 

 smaller mass of Castone in these cells dried within a few 

 days) and the lid was taped to the petri dish bottom to 

 provide additional security. Thus, a nest and a secure 

 foraging area were combined in a single, compact unit (Fig 2) 



Nest cells of both sizes were prepared in advance and 

 stored in a refrigerator until needed. Prior to use, they 

 were soaked in distilled water to saturation, then blotted 

 with paper towels to remove excess water. 



Temperature and Humidity 

 The colonies were maintained at a ca 28° C in a labora- 

 tory room having no humidity control; however, the Castone 

 nest substrate and wet cotton balls (described above) main- 

 tained humidity within tolerable limits. 



Diet 

 Laboratory colonies were fed live or dead (frozen) 

 insectary-reared insects (cockroaches, mealworms, cabbage 

 looper pupae), supplemented with boiled eggs, fruit, and 50% 



