RELATIONS WITH OTHER ARTHROPODA. 63 
Workers are often seen carrying plant lice and scale insects, and 
this fact, coupled with, the observed phenomenal spread of scales in 
ant-infested territory, brings one inevitably to the conclusion that 
the workers carry and establish these pests upon new growth and 
upon new host plants. 
During March, 1910, a considerable number of adult female scale 
insects were found embedded in a band of "tree sticky" placed around 
a magnolia tree to repel the ants. This band was located 4 feet from 
the ground. The scale insects were a species of Odonaspis * which 
is found upon Bermuda grass close to the surface of the ground. 
There was apparently no other way for these insects to get up the 
tree except through the transporting agencies of the ants. 
On sugar cane the ants have frequently been seen carrying around 
small sugar-cane mealy-bugs. They do not appear to pick them up 
unless they are rudely disturbed or frightened, but the fact remains 
that they have been seen transporting them. Experiments made by 
the junior author showed that the ants would pay no attention to the 
larval mealy-bugs until after the latter had commenced to feed on the 
canes and produce exudations. The following three paragraphs are 
quoted from our notes: 
Placed a piece of paper on which were about 2,000 "seed mealy-bugs" across a 
strong ant trail, and weighted it down flat, so that the ants could not get underneath 
it. At first the ants were bewildered at losing their trail, and ran over the paper in 
all directions. They absolutely refused to notice the young mealy-bugs, and after a 
while reestablished their trail across the paper, and commenced traveling the same 
as before. The mealy-bugs were swarming directly across the trail, but the ants paid 
no attention to them. 
This seems to indicate that the ants have no dealings with the mealy-bugs until 
they begin to secrete the juices from the cane stalks. These young mealy-bugs had 
never fed, being taken directly from the tube in which they were hatched. Thus 
they would probably not have excreted any liquid. At the same time the ants did 
not show any hostility toward them. 
The eggs are out of reach of the ants when they are enveloped in the egg mass, as 
the waxy covering appears to entangle the feet of the ants, being slightly sticky and 
adhesive. The egg stage and young larval stages are therefore removed from the 
sphere of the ants' influence. 
Even though the actual transportation of plant lice, aphides, and 
mealy-bugs by the ants may not assume much economic importance, 
there is, nevertheless, no doubt that the ants assist these insects 
greatly in other ways. They build shelters over them, these consist- 
ing of fine particles of earth, protecting them from storms and hin- 
dering the attacks of parasites. These shelters have been noticed 
in many different localities. In Bulletin 52, Bureau of Entomology, 
Mr. E. S. G. Titus gives an illustration of a large shed built by the ants 
over the surface of a persimmon, protecting a number of Florida wax 
scales (Ceroplastes floridensis Comst.). These sheds are also present 
1 Determined by Mr. E. R. Sasscer. 
