The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-09-23
He Makes BUGS
DO the WORK
---.urr-ss---s.-
Uncle Sam Imports Many IN a
Year for Various Pur-
poses.
WAR OF suG AGAINST BUG
His Latest Fiad Ia a@ Red Ant
Which Re lasenas 20 Use to De.
stroy tho Boil WoeviI in tho
Cotton Flolds.


work." says Uncle Sam. Nothing Is to
so TO waste! not even the potential en-
ergy or insect life! The mites OF the
wood and field are now to bc put In
harnoss
Foreign bugs are being Imported for
various purposes. Some are being en-
listed In armies and directed against
our enemies. These foes to be set upon
by such tiny fingers are not human
to be sure. 1t viii be Il war OF bug
against bug.
The most brainy insect known to sci
ence, the ant, Is the latest conscript
The news Dispatcher have told how In
Guatemala. O. Il. Cook. a botanist Of
the governments plant industry bureau
recently discovered q large, reddish
brown ant which fosters an enmity, In
stinctiVe and savage, for that beetle
known as the boil weevil, which is
causing such Gre havoc IN our cotton
fields.
y boil weevil" laboratorv has been
established at Victoria, Tex. the focus
of the cotton beetles ravages, by DR..
l.. o. Howard. chief entomologist of
the department of agriculture. Queens
OF the newly discovered ant are, to-
gether with number Of workers, be-
ing sent to his workshop. Permanent
colonies are to be established in the
experimental cotton field adjoining.
Tho First Battle.
The first battle en- American soil be-
tween the ant and beetle armies will be
waged at Victoria, where during the
conflict interested entomologists will be
posted about the field as war observ-
ers. If the ant forces win this test
struggle their victory will be an event
of good augury for cotton planters,
whose tribute to this insect was $780,
100000 last year.
On the eve Of this momentous strug-
ponents and their equipment. The i'm
ported ant soldier Is known as the
"kelep.' This name has been applied
to him by the Indians Of Guatemala,
who speak of him also as the "ani-
NAL OF the cotton" But in spite of his
long association With the cotton plant
these Indians do not know that the Ike
lep has for many years saved the cotton
crops from the destructive weevil. In
fact they do not know that the wee
vi itself is an enemy to cotton. In
seasons when the helpful ant has been
scarce and the beetle has been left
to do it's work unmolested these super
st1uous people have attributed their
scarcity OF cotton to the failure Of the
grower to abstain from eating salt at
planting time.
The kelep excavates a nest three
feet or more into the ground. He is
hardy insect. Experiments already
made show that he will survive con-
t1nement for twelve days without food
Although he Is a giant in size, man
can handle him with impunity. He has
none Of the waspish ill-temper Of many
Of the singing and biting ants Of the
tropical chimes. Ee does not in the least
injure cotton or any other plant so
FAR as has been observed. He drinks
the nectar secreted by the cotton leaf
but does not trouble the flossy boil,
But the sweet food Is simply an Incl
dent to his diet. He Is a much more
efficient destroyer of noxious insects
than is the spider or the toad. But
upon the harmless insects inhabiting
the cotton plant he looks with indiffer-
ence when the weevil is present.
This beetle is about tnree-eighths of
an inch long, over all, and is about
three times as long as wide. He Is US
ually of gray or yellowish brown and
has the hard shell of other beetles.
His head fits into his neck with a
ball and socket joint and is capable
of a wide angle of rotation. He is
equipped with a long, hard snout used
as lever for prylng into the grow
! ing cotton bolls. AT the end Is a row
of sharp teeth and the rotation Of his
| head can give TO this long proboscis
an auger-like motion. He eats with a
combination OF boring, prying and
chiseling motion.
How II Is Done.
The big cotton ants jaws open side
Wise like pair OF nippers. They are
1ar. 60