Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09
PERILS OF AN ANTS LIFE.
Pitfalls Treacherously Placed in His
Way by Fellow Insects.
From the Bookloyers Magazine

A noted French entomologist, NJ. Charles
Janet, has for many years devoted him
self almost entirely to Il study of the ant s
life-history. Had he couched his mono
graphs in the POLITICALLY unscientific style
OF MaeterlinckS essay on the bee, or writ
ten entertainingly impossible stories of
insect psychology he might well have
taken his place with the animal story-tell-
ers of the day. He certainly has enough
material to achieve either end. AS it is,
he must remain mute and inglorious so far
as the reading public is concerned, thanks
to his merciIessly technical presentation
of highly interesting discoveries.
Like the policeman in the song, the life
of an ant is anything but a happy one
Janet has discovered that he is likely to
have more thrilling adventures in an hour
than even the hero of modern historical
novel. If he starts out In the morning in
quest of food. he Is not unlikely to be
caught in a pitfali very cunningly prepared
for him by the ant lion. Tiger beetles lie
in ambush for him Spiders either throw
sticky skeins in his path and hoist him
into their webs like a bucket Of water at
the end of rope. or boldly pounce on
him as he wanders on, doing it so sue
cessfully judging from Janet's observa-
tons, that their lairs, like the ogre's den
in the fairy tale. are Uttered with many
an unpleasant memento of past feas SITS.
Besides hostile ant lions and spiders, the
ant must run the gauntlet of still more for
midable enemies The ant is notorious
fighter, engaged in more or less constant
battle with some member of his family
Taking advantage of this combative spirit
and seiZing his opportunity while the ant
is absorbed In military tactics, a certain
Hymenopter leaps on him and neatly drills
a hole in him. The object of this attack
is not to kill the ant, but simply to use
i'm in hat In he drill iy,cr
ton the Hymenopter deftly inserts its
eggs in the ants body and then hastens
away. If the ant proves the victor in his
duel he has reason to wish that he had
and the larvae that emerge develop at tho
expense of the victims tissues Finally,
the incubator-ant's vitality is SO far sap
ped that it perishes miseraby.
Another Hymenopter utilities the ant for
like purpose, but sets about it's work of
torture less treacherously. The incessant
excursions of some species of ants and
their habit of travelling in long process
sions offers this particular foe every OPP
portunty for carrying out his deadly in
tent. lowering a few inches above the
sand, the Hymenopter picks out a choice,
fat. succulent ant. swoops down on him
and carries him Off for a short distance
Then he stings the victim, not so as to kill
him. but to paralyze his legs. After this
skillfully performed surgical operation the
ant Is borne off to a cell. where he will
find about thirty of his fellows In a SINH
lar helpless plight. In this miniature
Black Hole of Calcutta, the Hymenopter
lays an egg and CLUES 1t carefully on the
mass Of ants. The larvae involuntarily
Matched feed on the ants and spin cocoons
about their dead bodies.
Even If he escaped all these perils, the
ant has still other dangers to avoid The
torpor occasioned by nocturnal cold places
him at the mercy of some ant-eatfng IN
sects. 1t happens that the enemy Is so
nearly like its prey in color and form that
1t boldly enters the nests OF the ants and
there conceaIs itself. Four footed ant
eaters, woodpeckers. pheasants and toads
add their wiles to those of the foes al
ready mentioned. And yet despite the
death that turks everywhere in many
guises. every ant hill is a-swarm with life.