640 THE STUDY OF INSECTS, 



Family FORMICID^ (For-mic'i-dse). 



The Typical Ants. 



The ants of this family can be recognized by the follow- 

 ing characteristics : the pe- 

 duncle of the abdomen con- 

 sists of a single segment ; 

 there is no constriction be- 

 tween the second and third 

 '*^ abdominal segments (Fig. 

 Fig. 765.-A Formicid. 7^5); and the queens and 



workers have no sting. The pupae are sometimes contained 

 \n a cocoon and are sometimes naked. The following are 

 some of our more common species : 



The Carpenter-ant, Camponotiis pennsylv aniens (Cam-po- 

 no'tus^penn-syl-va'ni-cus). — This is one of tl\e largest of our 

 common ants. Its entire body is black. It builds its nests 

 in the timbers of buildings, in logs, and in the trunks of 

 trees. Frequently they build in the dead interior of a liv- 

 ing tree, excavating a complicated series of chambers. The 

 way in which new colonies of this ant are founded is de- 

 scribed on page 635. 



The Mound-building Ant, Formica exsectoides (For'mi-ca 

 ex-sec-toi^des). — This species is the builder of our largest ant- 

 hills ; these are often five or six feet across, and sometimes 

 more than twice that in diameter. The head and thorax of 

 this ant are rust-red, while the legs and abdomen are black- 

 ish brown. This species has been supposed to be the same 

 as the European Wood-ant, Formica rufa^ and is referred to 

 in many books under that name. 



The Slavemaker-ant, Forinica difficilis (F. dif-fic'i-lis). — 

 One of our common slave-making ants is this species. It 

 very closely resembles the preceding in size and in color; 

 \\\ fact it is difficult to distinguish the two apart without the 

 use of a microscope. The Slavemaker-ant usually makes 

 its nest almost entirely underground. We often find these 



