. Elementary entomology . THE WHITE ANTS, BOOK-LICE, AND BIRD-LICE 105 buildings, whose wooden foundations are then attacked and often so mined as to necessitate their removal. Such instances are more common in the South, but even in the North porch timbers are often attacked, and now and then the white ants invade a buildino- o and thoroughly tunnel the studding and even the lathing. The workers of both sexes are wingless, of a dirty white color, and busy themselves in building their nests, caring for the young termites, and securing food for the whole colony. The soldiers are also of FIG. 13
. Elementary entomology . THE WHITE ANTS, BOOK-LICE, AND BIRD-LICE 105 buildings, whose wooden foundations are then attacked and often so mined as to necessitate their removal. Such instances are more common in the South, but even in the North porch timbers are often attacked, and now and then the white ants invade a buildino- o and thoroughly tunnel the studding and even the lathing. The workers of both sexes are wingless, of a dirty white color, and busy themselves in building their nests, caring for the young termites, and securing food for the whole colony. The soldiers are also of FIG. 136. A psocid (side b°th SeXCS> wmgless, and resemble the work- view), showing position of ers, except that the heads are of immense wings at rest. (Thirteen sjze> being frequently as large as the rest of times natural size) the body, and bear very strong mandibles, which form effective weapons. The kings and queens are really merely fathers and mothers, for they produce the colony but do not rule it. In early summer the kings (males) and queens (females) swarm forth from the nest and, after a short flight, shed their wings. Individual males and females now mate and are ready to start a new colony, but unless they are found and established by some workers they perish, and thus only few of them ever survive. If a pair are fortunate enough to be discovered by some workers, they are provided with food and are imprisoned in a circular cell. The queen now commences to develop eggs, and her body enlarges enormously, finally becoming nothing but a huge sack, often six inches long, filled with eggs. She is fed FIG. 137. A wingless book- by the workers, who carry away the eggs and eat y rear the young, which resemble the adults in ' . (After Kellogg) general form. Thus the domestic economy of these colonies is hardly less interesting than that of the true ants. Book-lice. In neglected libraries or in old books which have been stored are to be found the tiny book-lice (Psocidae] whi
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