298 
Psyche 
[Vol. 90 
Field Observations and Collecting Site 
The original description of Wheeler (1904) indicates the type 
locality only inaccurately as “near Salt Lake City, Utah, in the 
flood-plains of Jordan River”, where the host species, Manica mut- 
ica, was said to be common in some localities. S. chamberlini, how- 
ever, was found only in one particular ten-acre field and, despite an 
intensive search, in no other locality. Unfortunately Wheeler’s paper 
(1904) contains no further details on the exact site of that field. 
On August 15, 16 and 17, 1982 we located about 30 flourishing 
Manica mutica populations along the Jordan River, beginning with 
our search near Lehi and working down the river to North Salt 
Lake. We followed the roads and highways crossing the river, and, 
always beginning at the bridges, we looked for the host species in or 
near the banks. M. mutica was found near Lehi, on the eastern bank 
north of the bridge of road no. 73, and in several places in West 
Jordan (between 5400 South Street and 7800 South Street, east 
bank), in Murray and South Salt Lake (between 5300 and 3300 
South Street). Often the colonies seemed loosely concentrated. A 
search in Big Cottonwood Canyon was not successful. We have 
heard since then that unfortunately, late in following September, the 
Jordan River heavily flooded the type area, the only known nesting 
site for S. chamberlini. 
The species was detected only in one locality, on the eastern bank 
of the river, about 200 m south of the bridge of 3300 South Street, 
South Salt Lake. Manica mutica there forms large nests in the silty 
soil just in the upper edge of the steep river-bank about 2 m above 
the waterline. The area is a horse pasture with poor, short vegeta- 
tion, which was quite dry in August. Between two nests containing 
chamberlini there was a willow brush, and in the estate adjoining to 
the north, some rose bushes covered partly a private garbage dump. 
One very large mutica colony with a chamberlini nest was found 
there underneath a piece of concrete (50 X 18 X 15 cm). 
Altogether we found chamberlini in three mutica nesting sites, 
with distances of about 6 m between one other. We could not decide 
whether the flourishing mutica nests belonged to separate colonies, 
or whether they were parts of a large supercolony. However, two 
samples of living workers from two similarly adjacent nest sites of 
another locality (3900 South Street, South Salt Lake City) were 
successfully mixed and became host of chamberlini colony no. 3. 
