APHILANTHOPS GATHERING ANTS
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We were puzzled by the actions of a wasp that approached her nest again and again, but always circled away without entering, until looking closely we saw that she was pursued by two tiny flies. When she alighted and walked about awhile with her ant tucked under the third leg on one side, the flies alighted also and walked about behind her. In the end she evaded them by a sudden drop into her hole.
A wasp now came circling along with an ant in her grasp, and settled down between two small weeds that grew about four inches apart. She stood quiet a moment and then began to dig, but had evidently struck the wrong spot, for after a moment she moved and tried another place. Not finding the entrance, she rose and flew close under one of the plants and began to scratch again, but still in vain. For ten minutes she persisted, keeping within a few inches of the spot, and holding on to the ant all the time, although it was dreadfully in her way as she walked about. Then she dropped it and began to dig more vigorously, dividing her attention between the two spots she had attempted at first. She seemed troubled at having to leave the ant, and often picked it up and tried to hold it while she worked. Once in a while she would take it with her, and after circling about the spot would disappear, but in a few minutes she would return. It seemed to us that two little plants growing near together must have been her landmarks, and that probably she had been deceived by the likeness that those before us bore to the ones near her nest. Again and again she seemed to hesitate and think the matter over, but gradually one of the holes absorbed her more and more. At the end of an hour she was out of sight in it, and had carried her ant down, although she was still kicking out sand. It was evident that her memory had played her false, and that she had either covered her hole so neatly that she could not find the spot herself, or had missed the place entirely. She had accommodated herself to circumstances pretty well, although she ought to have realized earlier that it would be easier to dig one nest than two.
We now tried to excavate a nest, but could not follow the tunnel, although we found clumps of ants at different levels, some with larvæ feeding on them. The deepest were eighteen inches down. Hoping to secure a guide, we borrowed an ant as it was dropped in the doorway and tied a thread to it. The wasp pulled it in and took it part way down with this attachment; but before any great depth was reached, the thread was seemingly bitten off, as we found the free end without the ant. A second attempt brought no better results.
So long as we were quiet the wasps did not notice us, but after being disturbed they became shy and circled about a good deal before entering. Some of the ants were completely paralyzed, while others moved their abdomens, legs, and mouth parts. All through the morning, the whole place was in a bustle, but when we came back, after eating our luncheon in a shady spot, quiet reigned; the colony seemed asleep, and although we waited for an hour not a wasp showed herself.
The ants that these wasps were bringing all had wings. The European genus Fertonius takes worker ants which can be picked up anywhere; but so far as we know, these queens leave the nest only at the time of their nuptial flight, after which the wings are lost. How then are they captured? Can it be that the wasps, though not much larger than their prey, descend into the home of the ants, bearding the lions in their den, and carrying off their young queens by force of arms? This smacks of heroism.