Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-05-30
KEEPING APHIDES.

1t is well and generally known that
various species of ants keep aphides a,
men keep milk cows, to supply a nutrition,
secretion. Huber first observed this fact.
and noticed that the ants collected tn,
eggs of the aphides, and treated then
with as much apparent care as they
prea,ed their own. When these egg,
hatch out the aphides are usually KEEP
and fed by the ants. Sometimes th'
stems and branches on which they liv,
are encased by the ants in clay walls, ir
which doors are left large enough t.
admit the ants, but too small to allow th,
aphdes to escape. The latter are there
fore imprisoned in regular stables. The
sweet secretion is yielded to the ants by
a process of "milking," which consists il
the ants stroking the aphides with theiI
antennp.
Sir John Lubbock has made an inter-
estng addition to our knowledge respect
ing the habit in question: as practsed bN
a certain species of an (LaStuS fauus,)
which departs in somewhat remarkable
manner from the habit as practised by
other species. He says: when my eggs
hatched naturally thought that the
aphides belonged to one of the species
usually found on the pots of the plants in
the nests of LaSiuS faruS. To my sur
prise, however. the young creatures mad,
the best of their way out of the nest, and
indeed, We're sometimes brought out OF
the nests by the ants themselves Sub
sequent observation showed that these
aphides, born from eggs hatched in the
ants nest left the nest or were taken fl ON
1t as soon as they were Matched, in order
to live upon kind of daisy which
grew around the nest. Sir John then
made out the whole case as follows:
Here are aphides, not living in the
ants nests, but outside, on the leaf stalks
of plants. The eggs are laid early in
October on the food plant of the insect
They are of no direct use 10 the ants, vel
they are not left where they are laid,
where they would be exposed to the
severity of the weather and TO innumera
BILE dangers, but are brought into the
nests Ey the ants, and tended by them
with the utmost care through the long
winter months until the following March.
when the young ones are brought out aud
again placed on the young shoots of the
daisy. This seems to be most remarka-
BILE case of prudence. Our ants may not
perhaps, lay up food for the winter, but
they do more, for they keep during six
months the eggs, which will enable them
to procure food during the following
winter
The FOrnica roteSceBS assigns larger
share of work than other species to the
slaves which they capture in much larger
numbers to take 1t. In this species the
masters do no work whatsoever, unless
the capturing of slaves be regarded as
such. Therefore the whole community is
entirely dependent upon its slaves; the
masters are not able to make their oN
nests, to feed their own larva, or even to
feed themselves; they die of starvation in
the midst of favorite food if a slave should
not be present TO hand it in proper form.
In order 10 confirm this observation
due TO Huber) Lespes placed
a piece of moisteued sugar near a nest of
these slave makers. 1t was soon found
by one of the slaves, which gorged itself
and returned. Other slaves then came
out and did likewise. Some of the
mastets next came out, and by pulling the
legs of the feeding slaves reminded them
that they were negecting their duty,
lUo slaves lHeH lmmeuldlelY began 10
serve the sugar to their masters Had
they not there is no doubt they would
have been punished, for the masters bite
he slaves when they are displeased with
hem. Forel and Darwin have also
confirmed these observations of Huber.
Indeed, the structure of the mouth in
Fornica rufeScens is such as to render
self feeding difficult, if not physically
It's long and narrow Jaws.
adapted to pierce the head of
IN enemy, do not admit of being used for
feeding unless liquid food is poured into
them from the mouth of slave.
In Brazil leaf bugs are employed as
slaves by ants, and Audubon says
"When these ants want to bring home the
leaves they have bitten of the trees they
do it by means Of a column of these bugs,
which go in pairs. kept in order on either
side by accompanying ants. They compel
stragglers to re-enter the ranks and
aggards to keep upby biting them. After
the work is done the bugs are shut up
within the colony aud soantily fed"