The suburban citizen., 1902-07-05
A PERENNIAL CONTEST
AN ANT WAR WHICH HAS LASTED
FIFTEEN YEARS.


In the little cemetery at the st. Vim
cent Monastery, Latrobe, Westmore-
land County, Pa. over the peaceful
graves of the departed Benedictine
monks, there has for fifteen years
waged curious war, the outcome of
which is watched with interest by the
fathers of the institution, one of whom,
at least, Father Jerome, is known wide
ly as an entomologist of repute, being
at present engaged in identifying enty-
doms for the museum of the Carnegie
Institute in Pittsburg, several new spe-
cies which he has discovered being
named after him. The war in question
is a perennial contest waged between
two colonies of ants In the cemetery
proper there is a colony of 'slave-tak-
ing ants" the boundaries of whose
home are definitely marked near the
borders of the burial ground. Just over
the hill from this is a colony of the
common red ants of larger size, and be-
tween these two communities, or form
icaria, for decade and a half the bat
ties have been frequent and furious.
As a natural consequence the red ants
being constantly depleted of their
"neutersp or workers, are becoming
less and less numerous while the black
ants, living in luxury and ease, are
waxing more powerful in numbers each
year. The outcome will probably be
that in the end the slavetaking ants
will eXterminate the red ants when the
former will be compelled to move else.
where for serfs.
Exhaustive study, under the micro
scope has been made of the two colo
nies and their belicose relations by
Father Jerome and other priests at the
monastery. The black ants have con-
structed, with the help Of their serfs,
immense galleries in the cemetery,
which are constantly being enlarged by
the additions of new colonies sent out
from the mother house and the extend
ing of these by increasing population.
To begin with, there are three kinds
of ants in the black nest: the males, fe-
males and tue neuters, the latter being
undeveloped females. When the males
and females emerge from the pupae
state both have wings. Unlike the
bees, which leave the colonies in
swarms because Of bad air, oyercrowd-
ing or other cause, the young ants leave
the nest simply for reproductive pur-
poses. Pairing, the males and females
take their honeymoon trip in the air,
after which the males die and the fe
males uncouple their wings never more
to reclaim them. In this apparently
helpless state the females are found by
the neuters and either brought back to
the original home nest Or surrounded
by colony Of neuters, the new queen
takes up her abode in a new colony. In
this she at once proceeds to deposit her
eggs in groups of six or eight. When
the eggs are hatched the insects are
then in the pupa state. This pupa spins
a cocoon, which looks like a little bar
leycorn, and which most people quickly
mistake for an egg" In about year
this cocoon matches into the perfect ant,
which, suppose for descriptive pur-
colony possesses.
This soldier is a neuter with elon-
gated jaws, made for fierce battle
work The colony finds that the work
is becoming too much for the slaves
captured on the last raid into the col
ony of the red ants down the hillside.
With their attennae, the soldiers COM
municate from one to another the in
telligence that foray is to be made.
First few scouts set out, soldiers like.
These scouts go little way, then re-
trace their steps-why? Because the
sense of smell is with the ant its means
Of following the path taken by its pre-
decessor. This fact has been proven
time and time again by crossing the
path with the human finger or other
wise interrupting the line of scent, in
which case the ants become at fault, |
and only after scouts have been sent
out in all directions by the main body |
of the army following can the trail be |
again found and followed
Following the scouts-in this case,
also the old trail of years before-the
body Of foragers crosses the borders Of |
the slave-takers and soon comes down !
the hill to the formicarium of the red |
ants. The black soldiers rush, in. A
furious battle ensues Many of the red |
ants are killed in defense of their
home, their lineage and their helpless
offspring. But the red ants are nc !
match for the slave-takers. Here and
there, in this gallery and in that, the
black ants are busy grabbing up the
pupae in their jaws. Finally, each in
vader with a pupa in its mouth, the
black ants retrace their steps toward
their own colony. The kidnapped pupae
are now taken in charge by the nurses
and attendants-the minor neuters Of
the black ant colony. The helpless
things are fed and cared for till they
are perfect insects. By this time prob
ably they have lost all knowledge of
their old home, and being thoroughly
1omiciled as serfs, and knowing moth
Ing better, they are reconciled to serf-
5om.