. Ants; their structure, development and behavior. s (Fig. 231). I am inclined,therefore, to regard the Cremastocheilias degenerate symphiles. which are nowable to live as indifferently tolerated oreven as persecuted synoeketes, because theirhard armor shields them perfectly fromthe mandibles of the ants. Even the mouth parts and antennae areprotected by the peculiar mentum, and the legs are so tough thatthey cannot be disarticulated by the ants. I was quite unable to ascer-tain the nature of the food of these beetles, some of which lived severalweeks in my nests without eating. According to B
. Ants; their structure, development and behavior. s (Fig. 231). I am inclined,therefore, to regard the Cremastocheilias degenerate symphiles. which are nowable to live as indifferently tolerated oreven as persecuted synoeketes, because theirhard armor shields them perfectly fromthe mandibles of the ants. Even the mouth parts and antennae areprotected by the peculiar mentum, and the legs are so tough thatthey cannot be disarticulated by the ants. I was quite unable to ascer-tain the nature of the food of these beetles, some of which lived severalweeks in my nests without eating. According to Brauns (Wasmann,19000) the Cetoniine beetles of the genera Plagiocheilus and Myrmeco-cheilus, which are allied to Cremastocheilus, live in the nests of Plagio-Icpis in South Africa. (c) Myrmecocleptics.—Janet (1896?;) gave the name of myrmeco-clepty to the peculiar behavior of the Lepismid Atelura [Lepismina]fonnicaria, which is common in the nests of various European insect is decidedly of the loricate type, with broad thorax, rapidly. FIG. 231. Formica in-tegra worker gnawing at thehind thoracic angle of Cre-mastocheilus castanea-. (Orig-inal.) 392 ANTS. tapering abdomen and very smooth surface, so that it cannot be readilyseized by its host. Janet says that these guests keep circulating andgliding about among the ants [Lasiits ], but never remain stand-ing in their neighborhood. I have sometimes seen the ants threatenthe Lepisinina and even spring upon them, but the latter are so agilethat they always escape. Nevertheless, in my artificial nests, wherethey have greater difficulty in concealing themselves than in the naturalnests, the}- are eventually captured. Two days after installing them inthe nest. I found five cadavers which the ants were holding in theirmandibles and carrying about the nest. The Atclura will eat honeyfrom the manger of the nest, but they seem, as a rule, to obtain theirfood by running up and imbibing some of the liquid regurgitated b
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectants, bookyear1910
