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Show Bl&clz Ants Valuable to Worry Coco Louse "Without Black Ants No Coco" reads a sign posted at the entrance of n. great plantation In central Java. It docs not go unheeded, for the natives na-tives hand In 5-ome four million nests of these little creatures every year, and receive payment in return. These black ants live only upon trees Infested Infest-ed by the white coco louse. Neither the louse r.or the ants Injure In-jure the trees. The real enemy is a. 'certain beetle whose name is Ilelopol-tis. Ilelopol-tis. which also attacks the tea plant. It has been found that when the black nuts are present, the Iielopcltis fails to injure the trees. Apparently this sap-sucking pest Is disturbed by the activity of the ants, for the latter do not attack the beetle. This Is why the black ants are protected. pro-tected. Food is provided for them by picking the white coco lice from lhe shells of the fruit, where they congre- I gate, and placing them on the coco J trees to attract the ants and disturb the beetles. |