HICKORY. TRUNK — WALNUT ANT. TICKS UPON. 153 



tance of an inch or more. This discoloration will be observed in 

 every part of the tfunk and limbs of the walnut tree, wherever 

 the burrows of these ants occur. And it seems quite probable 

 that the ant by thus saturating the wood with acid, hastens its 

 decay, in order to adapt it for being more easily mined. If we 

 are correct in this supposition, this curious faculty which our 

 walnut ant possesses of softening the wood in order that it may 

 be able to gnaw and excavate it more readily, renders this species 

 much more injurious than it otherwise would be. 



It is commonly stated of the insects of this family that males 

 and females are developed only in the summer, and that it is the 

 neuters alone that are to be found at other seasons of the year ; 

 but of this species I meet with all three of the sexes, in a torpid 

 state in their burrows, in the winter season. Those parts of the 

 burrows where the ants were present had their walls quite wet, 

 probably from the perspiration given off from their bodies. 

 And nestling in this wet surface a few larvae of the ants were 

 also met with. 



These larvm were very small footless grubs, measuring from 0.03 to 0.08 in length, 

 the largest individuals being about 0.03 in diameter. They are of a cylindrical form, 

 but always lie with the body doubled together in the form of the letter U, or in the 

 larger individuals with the head bent downwards against the breast. They are of a 

 white color, shining and semipellucid, with a blackish cloud in the center of the body 

 from alimentary matter in the viscera. The surface is covered with numerous short- 

 ish white hairs, and the segments are marked by transverse impressed lines, which 

 are much more obvious in the large than in the small individuals. No projecting 

 jaws can be discerned at the mouth. 



Upon the wet surface of the walls of the cavities occupied ly 

 these ants, extremely minute ticks may also be met with, numer- 

 ous in particular places, and of a pale red color, bearing some re- 

 semblance to a minute Coccinella or Lady-bird. These, it is 

 probable, are parasites living upon the ants. They afe similar in 

 their form, texture, &g., to the common Beetle-tick {Gamasus 

 coleoptraiorum, Lin.), but the hard shining plate covering their 

 backs consists of one piece only. They consequently pertain to 

 the genus Uropoda of Latrielle, and the species may appropriately 

 be named Formica, or the Ant-tick. Of the species figured in 

 Baron Walckenaer's Atlas of Apterou.« Insects, it bears the closest 



