1963] 
Creighton — Cryptocerus texanus 
143 
Since texanus does not always nest in live-oaks it is clear that only 
a part of the picture has been presented here. The nectar-feeding 
activities of texanus , of which one instance was cited in this study, offer 
interesting possibilities for further investigation. If texanus feeds on 
nectar there is every reason to suppose that it will also feed on honey 
dew. This opens a wide range of possible food sources including the 
surface secretions of galls and the sugary exudates of coccids and 
aphids. But it now seems reasonably certain that texanus does not 
ordinarily augment its nectar-pollen diet with the tissues of other 
insects. This behavior is noteworthy, for many other ants which 
obtain the major part of their diet from plant sources (the harvesters 
and the honey ants) show no hesitation about feeding on the tissues 
of other insects as a supplementary item of diet. But the nectar-pollen 
diet of texanus is no more specialized than the ant itself. For the 
structure of texanus , like that of most of the members of the Cryp- 
tocerini, is highly specialized and it is not surprising that an ant with 
such advanced structural features should have an unusual and 
restricted diet. 
Literature Cited 
1. Creighton, W. S., and R E. Gregg 
1954. Psyche, 61 (2): 41-57. 
2. Creighton, W. S. 
1953. Psyche, 60(2) : 82-84. 
