Harvesting Ants and Trap-Door Spiders / Notes and Observations on Their Habits and Dwellings

by John Traherne Moggridge

(7) F. (species undetermined).—A rather large ant (3 to 4¹/₂ lines), resembling F. fusca, but having the thorax yellow. Strong smell of formic acid. Feeds on sweet secretions, and does not carry seeds. Nest in ground. (Cannes.)

(8) Formica (Tapinoma) erratica, Latr.—Rather small (2 lines), nearly black. Has a strong and most disagreeable smell, something like rancid oil, which is emitted if the nest is disturbed or the insect crushed. Lives upon sweet secretions and animal matter, but rarely if ever carries seeds, and pays no attention to them if placed in its path. It nests in the ground, and forms superficial covered ways, roofed in with a thin crust of earth and vegetable fibres cemented together. (Mentone, Cannes.)

Tribe Myrmicineæ. Petiole two jointed, furnished with two nodes (protuberances).

(9) Crematogaster (Myrmica) scutellaris, Oliv.—Of medium size (3¹/₂ to 4 lines), nearly black, with yellowish red head. Disagreeable smell like rancid oil when crushed. Erects the abdomen when excited, and runs about with it turned up at right angles to the body. Lives on sweet secretions, and does not carry seeds. When dissecting the abdomen of this ant, I noticed that in freshly killed specimens a drop of poison appears at the extremity of the sting, which if brushed away will form again several times in succession. Nest in the bark and wood of sick or decayed trees. (Mentone and Cannes.)

(10) C. sordidulus, Mayr.—Very small (1¹/₂ to 2 lines), resembles C. scutellaris, but is uniformly black brown. No perceptible smell. Lives on sweet secretions, and may frequently be seen inside flowers. Nest in earth. Behaves like C. scutellaris when excited. (Mentone and Cannes.)

(11) Myrmica cæspitum, Latr.—Small (2 lines), brown. Faint smell like peat smoke. Feeds on animal food and sweet secretions, and may occasionally be seen collecting and carrying in seeds. Nest in the ground. (Mentone and Cannes.)

(12) Pheidole (Atta or Myrmica) megacephala.—Very small (1¹/₂ to 2 lines), yellow, the larger workers having enormous heads. Smell very peculiar, and a trifle like aniseed when crushed. Appears to be a true harvester, and not to seek for sweet secretions. Nest in ground. (Mentone and Cannes.)

(13) Ph. (Atta or Myrmica) pallidula.—Very small (1¹/₂ lines), pale yellow, closely resembles Ph. megacephala, but is paler and more transparent, and the larger workers have less disproportionate heads. Smell not noted. Habits not fully observed. Nest in ground. (Mentone.)

(14) Atta (Aphenogaster or Myrmica) structor.—Rather large (2 to 4 lines), of a claret brown. No smell when crushed. A true harvester, and does not appear to seek for sweet secretions, though it will occasionally take animal food. Nest in ground or under stones. (Mentone and Cannes.)

(15) Atta (Aph. or Myrmica) barbara.—Rather large (2 to 4 lines), jet black. No smell when crushed. Habits of structor. Nest in earth, and more frequently in uncultivated ground. I have twice seen a few ants coloured like structor in colonies of barbara. (Mentone, Cannes, and Marseilles.)