. Ants; their structure, development and behavior. cians livesin populous, independent formicaries under stones which it banks withplant debris. Like other members of the rufa group, it is a very pug-nacious ant. During the course of several summers a number of small,incipient colonies were found, containing a consocians queen associatedwith workers of F. incerta, a variety of schaufussi, and sometimes alsowith a few consocians workers. F. incerta is a cowardly ant whichforms numerous rather small formicaries in the same locality. The -442 ANTS. workers are reddish-yellow and of about the same
. Ants; their structure, development and behavior. cians livesin populous, independent formicaries under stones which it banks withplant debris. Like other members of the rufa group, it is a very pug-nacious ant. During the course of several summers a number of small,incipient colonies were found, containing a consocians queen associatedwith workers of F. incerta, a variety of schaufussi, and sometimes alsowith a few consocians workers. F. incerta is a cowardly ant whichforms numerous rather small formicaries in the same locality. The -442 ANTS. workers are reddish-yellow and of about the same size as the consociansqueen. I naturally inferred that the mixed colonies must owe theirorigin to the adoption of consocians queens by incerta workers. Anumber of experiments were performed, which left no doubt concern-ing the correctness of this inference. The account of one of theseexperiments may be repeated here: July 21, P. M., an artificially dealated consocians female wasplaced in a nest with twenty incerta workers and several worker. FIG. 262. Formica microgytia. (Original.) a, Dealated female; b, large workerdrawn to same scale : c, head of worker ; d. petiole of same from behind ; e, petioleof female. cocoons taken from one of the most vigorous colonies found duringthe entire summer. The workers were unusually large and more likethe workers of pure schaufussi, but with the coloration and pilosity ofincerta. The female seemed disinclined to approach the workers,which were brooding over their cocoons, but she moved towards themwhen the illumination of the chamber was reversed. She was at onceseized by a worker and showered with formic acid. She escaped to a THE TEMPORARY SOCIAL PARASITES. 443 corner of the nest. By P. M. she had returned, mounted the pileof cocoons and was licking the workers, who were submitting to thistreatment as if it were a matter of course. A few moments later shefed one of the workers and then kept alternating between feeding andcaress
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectants, bookyear1910
