;The preceding rules do not apply to the social Hymenoptera,-bees, wasps, and ants. With these insects each colony is a numerous family in which all the individuals are common offspring procreated by a fertile female to which is ordinarily given the name of queen. Certain members of the family are males which couple with the future queens and perish soon afterward; the others, infinitely more numerous, are females incapable of coupling, neuters, which devote themselves exclusively to the work of the colony, from which fact the name w-orkers is derived. With some species of ants certain neuters have an especial armature and play the defensive role of soldiers.