. Ants; their structure, development and behavior. ns to other species of ants (social symbiosis). Our knowledge of the myrmecophiles is less than a century old. Itgrew, slowly at first through the occasional contributions of J. P. \ (1818), Savi (1819), Maerkel (1841,1844), von Hagens (), Lespes (18680, i868&), Forel (1874) and Lubbock ( 1894), butrecently the interest and importance of the subject have been more 378 PERSECUTED AND TOLERATED GUESTS. 379 fully appreciated, owing to the investigations of Wasmann, Janet,Escherich, Reitter, Hamilton, Schwarz, Viehmeyer and others
. Ants; their structure, development and behavior. ns to other species of ants (social symbiosis). Our knowledge of the myrmecophiles is less than a century old. Itgrew, slowly at first through the occasional contributions of J. P. \ (1818), Savi (1819), Maerkel (1841,1844), von Hagens (), Lespes (18680, i868&), Forel (1874) and Lubbock ( 1894), butrecently the interest and importance of the subject have been more 378 PERSECUTED AND TOLERATED GUESTS. 379 fully appreciated, owing to the investigations of Wasmann, Janet,Escherich, Reitter, Hamilton, Schwarz, Viehmeyer and others. Was-mann alone, in a series of more than a hundred and fifty papers, maybe said to have contributed as much as all other authors to our knowl-edge of these remarkable insects. The number and diversity of myrmecophilous arthropods are almostincredible. In 1894 Wasmann enumerated 1,246 species. This listcomprises 1,177 insects, 60 Arachnida and 9 Crustacea. Of the insects993 are Coleoptera (283 Staphylinidse, 117 Pselaphidse, 90 Clavigeridae,. FIG. 224. Synechthran and synoekete Staphylinids. (Original.) A, Myrmedonia fimesta; B, Dinarda dentata. 169 Paussidas, 43 Thorictidse, 128 Histeridae, etc.). Since 1894 manyadditional species have been brought to light, so that the total numbernow known is at least 1,500, including fully 1,000 beetles. These, how-ever, represent only a portion of the existing myrmecophilous fauna ofthe world. Wasmanns and Escherichs estimate of 3,000 species isprobably below rather than above the total number that will be recordedwhen the ant-nests of the tropics and many other regions have beenas carefully searched for these insects as those of Europe, The existence of this great number of myrmecophiles can be accountedfor only on the supposition that ant-nests have a strong attraction forterrestrial arthropods. It is not difficult to understand how this canbe the case since, in the first place, the nests are usually permanentabodes inhabited for months
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectants, bookyear1910
