108 



Ashmead" records an ant, Monohiorkmi carhonariurn Smith, as feed- 

 ing on the boll worm, and the same ant was again seen at Victoria feeding 

 on embryo bollworms extracted from their shells. The same observer 

 found Solcmojjsis (jeminata Fab. eating bollworm eggs, and we have seen 



Fig. li.—IIippodamia convergcns: adult, larva, and pupa (from Chittenden). 



a second, smaller species of the genus {Solenopsis texana Em.) very 

 common on j'Oung cotton plants and apparentl}^ destroying newly 

 hatched larvae which had been placed there pur- 

 posely. Other ants have been observed under 

 more or less suspicious circumstances which point 

 to them as possible bollworm destroyers, although, 

 on the whole, their value in an economic way is 

 very doubtful. Following is a list of the ants in 

 the probable order of their importance: 



1. Solenopsis geminata Fab. 



2. Cremastogaster lineolata Say. 



3. Solenopsis texana Emery. 



4. Monomorium carbonarium Smith. 



5. Dorymyrmex pyramicus Smith. 



6. Forelius maccooki Eraerv. 



Fig. 15. — Solenopsis gemi- 

 nata (after McCook). 



A worker belonging to the first of these species 

 is shown in figure 15. 



The larvje of certain species of Chrysopa (fig. 16) are often abun- 

 dant on corn and cotton plants, feeding on both the }- oung larvae and 

 the eggs. The eggs of the chrysopa are laid on the cotton plants 

 quite f requenth^ and are sometimes mistaken for the eggs of the boll- 

 worm. They are deposited in an entirel}^ different manner, however 

 (see fig. 16, (f)^ being attached by a long flexible stalk and not laid flat 

 upon the plant, as is the case with those of the bollworm. 



On two occasions, once at Clarksville, Tex., and again at Victoria, 

 during May, 1903, a small reddish mite was seen feeding on freshly laid 

 bollworm eggs. 



« In Insect Life, 1894. 



