The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-06-23
FROM THE ENToMoI,oGIsT.


My attention having been called to the
ant family from observing their opera
tons in our front yard on North Walnut
street, as we'll as from the evidences of
their activity on the pavement as pass
up and down, concluded to say few
words on this order Of insects.
The familiar ant fornica) belongs to
the order Hymenoptera, of which divis-
ion the bees, wasps and hornets are
also well known samples. The Termites,
or white ants, insects which also live in
social communities, and which inhabit
tropical regions, belong to a different
order, the Neuroptera, which differ in
several important respects from the
ordinary ants.
While the hymenopterous insects are
distinguished by four membranous
wings, yet in certain members of the ant
community the wings may be wanting.
The organs of the mouth are partly fitted
for mastication and partly for suctional
purposes by having jaws and proboscis
or "antlia" The females of this order
generally possess terminal appendage
forming a sting, or which may be used
in the deposition of eggs, when it is
termed an ovipositor. The hymenoptera
undergoes a complete metamorphosis in
their passage to mature existence, gem
orally winged insect, or image. The
hymenoptera, of all insects, show re-
markable development in the Social
direction. From the earliest times ants
attracted attention, and the learned an
clients were familiar with them. Aris-
totle and Pliny tell us that ants are reg
ulated in great measure by the phases
of the moon, which may be doubted.
Only some species of ants have grain
storing habits, and those are vegetable
feeders. The carnivorous are not so
frugal and industrious, being flesh eat
ing.
Many works have been written on the
ant family, ours and other nations hav-
ing furnished authors. Satreille, a famous
French hentomologist, published his work
in 1902 and up to that date the most full
and accurate account of the ant family
He fully describes 100 species known tc
himself and mentions "a species he was
able to describe from the reports o
others. These he distributed among
nine families, based on the situation anC
structure of the "antennae" or feeder,
and the disposition Of the abdomina
scales. In 1910 Huber, Swiss author
published a valuable work, giving thu
result of his own observations but o
late years many works and treatises hav,
appeared on this and allied entomol
ogical lines.
An ant community, like other hy
menopterous insects, the bees for ex
ample, has its three grades of individuals
males, females and neuters. The male
and females are winged and during tn
summer are produced in large number
and soon leave the nest to take thei
"nuptial flight" in the air, after whic
the male ants die, and the females 500
lose their wings, and are conveyed b
the neuters to new situations, wher
they become the founders of fresh cole
nies. Each fertile female, or queen,
carefully attended by retinue of "ner
ters." which are only undeveloped ft
males. The curious experiments of Ell
tomologists seem 70 show that differ
entiation of sex depends on the natur
of the food during the iarval state
Free from all sexual functions the ner
ters perform all the Offices necessary fc
welfare Of the ant community. The
construct and build the home and kee