Article beginning on page 59.
Psyche 7:59-66, 1894.

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PSYCHE.
THE HABITS OF THE ACULEATE HYMENOPTERA.- 111. BY WILLIAM H. ASHMEAD, WASHINGTON, D. C. Family V. MELLINIDAE. This
family (if we can call it a family) is
represented in our fauna by one genus
with three species, and as these are
exceedingly rare, no observations on any of them have been made. Westwood,
however, has observed the European
Mellinus arvensis burrowing in sand-
banks, and Shuckard states the species
preys upon Diptera. Kirby and Spence
also say it selects the smaller flies,
including the troublesome Stomoxys
caZcitrum.
Family VI. MIMESIDAE. In this
family we have 17 described species,
distributed in two genera ; the habits of none of them seem to be known.
According to Shuckard, the species
belonging to the genus Psen Latr.
nidificate in sand ; whereas, those of
Mimesa Shuck., according to West-
wood, appear to be wood-burrowers
and provision their cells with the larvae of different species of Homopterous
insects.
Family VII. PHILANTHIDAE. This
family is well represented in our fauna, by no less than seventy-five species,
distributed in four genera.
Westwood, whom I have drawn upon
for many of the facts recorded in this
paper, states that the species belonging to the genus Cerceris Latr. show
considerable diversity in habits. The
economy of Cerceris ornata, according
to Walckenaer, forms its nest in foot
paths, and other situations exposed to
the sun, to the depth of five inches, but in a tortuous direction, provisioning
them with different species of Halictus, four being requisite for the food supply of one larva.
In the Trans. ent. soc. Lond. i, p.
203, Westwood gives an interesting
account of the habits of Cerceris
arenarius Linn. which forms a burrow
in the sand and provisions it with a
species of Cuculionid (Strophosomus)
which it carries in flight by means of
-
its four fore legs, its hind legs being
extended. Other short-snouted weevils
are also employed, such as Pachygas-
ter ficifes, rancuss, etc. According
to Latreille, Cerceris a d a employs
Lixus ascadi and other weevils.
Westwood also mentions a cocoon of
one of these species covered with
debris of a multitude of a species of
Chr~sis, which he considered had
probably served for food of the larva of one of these insects ; while Packard, in his Guide, states that "Dufour unearthed in a single field thirty nests of, C.
bupresticida which were filled with
ten species of Buprestis, comprising
four hundred individuals, and none of
any other genus; also that C. tubercu-
lata provisions its nest with Leuco-
somus ofhthalmicus, and C. tricincta
with Clythra."
Pu&f 7 059-66 (pre.1903). hfp //psyche aitclub org/7/7.00io htd



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[April 1894.
I can find nothing published on any
American species ; but Mr. H. G. Hub-
bard tells me that while a student at the Cambridge museum, some years ago,
he observed a species provisioning its
cells with the acorn weevil Balaninus
nasicus Say ; that specimens were given
to Dr. Hagen and will be found in
the Museum collection. From Mr.
Hubbard's verbal description I think
this insect may be Cerceris venator
Cr.
Cerceris fumipennis Say provisions
its cells with Chrysobothris deutipes,
according to observations made by Mr.
Hubbard.
The genus Philadhas Fabr. preys
upon bees. Latreille who first dis-
covered the habits of a species in this
genus (Hist. nat. fourmis, p. 307)
found that Philanthus trianyulum
Fabr. dug burrows in hot sandy situa-
tions and provisions its nest with
honey-bees; a single bee being suffi-
cient food supply for rearing a single
wasp. The genus is poorly repre-
sented in Europe ; but in this country
we have many described species.
Although so well represented, not a
single note seems to have been pub-
lished concerning the habits of any
species.
In the south I have observed Phil-
a m s wctatus Say preying upon
Halictus disparalis Cr. and other
small Halicti.
Family VIII. NYSSONIDAE. Al-
though this family is represented in
our fauna by 8 genera and 56 species,
not a word has been published con-
cerning the habits of a single species.
The genus Gorytes Latr. seems to
confine its attacks to Homopterous
insects belonging to the family Cercep-
idae. Westwood SAYS :-
In June, 1837, I observed the female of
Gorytes mystaceus engaged in protruding
her legs and sting into a patch of the frothy secretion caused by the larva of AphrofJiora s-urnaria, without, however, being able to dislodge the occupant. Subsequently I saw it similarly occupied with a drop of water, evidently mistaken for the froth, but unsuc- cessfully; but I shortly afterwards observed it with a larva of this insect, which it carried be- neath its body by the help of its middle legs. Mr. Shuckard has also captured it, as well as his G. Fargeii (=G. carnpesti-is St.
Farg. ?) with a similar prey.
The genus Nyssun Latr. is said to
nest in sand, but its prey has not been
observed.
Family IX. BEMBECIDAE. This
family comprises some of the largest
and most showy of our fossorial wasps,
no less than twenty-four species, dis-
tributed in nine genera, being known to
occur in the United States.
The genus Sfhecius Dahlb. com-
prise the giants of the family, which
as a boy, were known to me under the
name of Queen Hornets, and I really
believed them to be Queens of the
yellow-jackets. Although it has been
known for years that our largest species, Sphecius sfeciosus Drury, formed its
burrows in the ground and provisioned
them with Cicadas, storing them with
Cicada dorsata, C. tibicens and C.
margiaata, it was not until last year,
in the publication of Dr. C. V. Riley's
admirable article entitled "The larger
digger-wasp" in Insect life, vol. iv, p.



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April 1894.1
248, that we had any information in
detail of its habits, burrow, and
development.
Dr. Riley is justly noted for the
thoroughness of all of his entomologi-
cal work, but in this paper, we have a
model of just how the biology of our
bees and wasps should be worked out;
and I hope others will imitate it in
working up the habits and development
of other of our bees and wasps.
In this article Dr. Riley has given
very thoroughly the entire life history
of this interesting wasp, illustrating the same with most beautiful figures, the
wasp with its prey, a diagram of its
burrows, the position of egg attached
to the Cicada, the larva, pupa, larva
forming its cocoon, and the cocoon
itself. I do not quote from it, as it is readily accessible and should be read
by all to be thoroughly appreciated.
The habits of no other of our Bein-
becids seem to have been worked out in
detail. In Florida I have observed
Monedula ca~olina preying upon the
large horse-fly Tabazus afrahs, so
troublesome to horses and cattle in the
South. A singular peculiarity of this
insect is its ability to fly backwards in front of a moving horse while watching
the opportunity to suddenly bounce
upon and seize one of these flies.
Mr. D. W. Coquillett tells me that
while in California he has frequently
observed Be& fasciata Fabr. storing
its nests with EristaZis tenax, while
Bembex obsoleta Say em ploys flies
belonging to the genera Musca, Lucilia,
Sarcophaga and Psilocephala.
Here it will be well to quote from
John Bartrain's paper "On the yellow
wasp of Pennsylvania" published in
1763 (Phil. trans., vol. 53 (1763), pp.
37-39), as I believe he has reference to a Bembecid. He says :-
I saw several of these wasps flying about a heap of sandy loam: they settled on it and very nibly scratched away the sand with their fore feet, to find their nests whilst they held a large fly under their wings with one of feet; they crept with it into the hole that lead to the
nest and staid there about three
%.
minutes, when they came out. With their
hind feet, they threw the sand so dexterously over the hole, as not to be discovered ; then taking flight, soon returned with more flies, settled down, uncovered the hole, and entered with their prey.
This extraordinary operation raised my
curiosity to try and find the entrance, but the sand fell in so fast that I was pre- vented, until by repeated essays I was so lucky as to find one. It was six inches in the ground, and at the farther end lay a large magot, nearly an inch long, thick as a small goose-quill, with several flies near it, and the remains of many more. These
flies are provided for the magot to feed on before it changes into the nymph state:
then it eats no more until it attains .to a perfect wasp.
It will be seen on reading the account
of the habits of the European B. ros-
trata that this statement of John
Bartrain's, made one hundred and
twenty-eight years ago, is now con-
firmed.
The European Bembex rostrata lias
been very thoroughly worked out by Mr.
C. \'V esenberg, in a paper in the Danish language, entitled "Bembex rostrata ;
its life and instincts," published in the



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PSYCHE.
[April 1894.
Copenhagen Entomologiske meddelel-
ser, vol. 3, 1891.
As a familiarity with the Danish
language is not one of my accomplish-
ments, I am indebted to Mr. Martin
Line11 for a translation of some of the
more important portions; and as Mr.
Wesenberg has discovered many new
and important facts in regard to the
life history of this species, in many
respects totally at variance with the
habits of all other fossorial wasps whose habits have been investigated, I feel
sure a resume of them here will be
appreciated by my readers.
It makes its cell two or three inches deep in solid sand covering it up with loose sand and generally also with alittle flat stone to prevent parasites from gaining access to the larva. The cell measures one cubid inch, the entrance tunnel being one and a half centimeters long and arcuate. A cell con- tains four or five fresh flies (Lticilia, Eris- tails, etc.) and torn off wings, sucked out thoraces, etc., and in the middle of these a big flat larva.
All other digger-wasps furnish the food
for their young once for all, either first lay- ing their egg, then putting in food, or first filling up the cell with food, then laying their egg on it, and covering the whole with- out again visiting their cell or seeing their larva, Such, however, is not the case with Bembex yostrata, for just as soon as the larva has hatched, the female makes visits to it several times a day bringing each time a fresh fly for its larva.
Bembex, according to Wesenberg, lacks
the power of paralyzing its prey and all the flies are dead and show deep marks on the thorax just above the tegulae, made by
strong jaws of the wasp.
In two cases, he found the eggs laid on a single fly Pollenia. When the larva is
hatched the mother brings more and more
flies, the flies brought being larger and larger as the larva grows. With a larva not quite grown he found 4 Eristalis, 6 Syrphus, 2 Musca, and 3 Anthomyia flies.
The fully grown larva was of a greyish
white color 2h centimeters long, with the segments behind the head gradually expanded to the last segment.
Fabre took a young larva, fed it on flies, and before pupating it had devoured 82 flies. He also says that p Bembecids will nest
on a spot as big as a room, during a period of three months, the period for the develop- ment of each larva being two weeks. This will allow only five or six young ones for the season. But does each female have more than one nest? If so, how can it remember them? Mr Wesenberg then tells how the
larva forms its cocoon, quoting from Fabre, and follows with some remarks about the
circle of small holes about the middle over- looked by Fabre.
As Dr. Riley has called special attention to similar holes in the cocoon made by
S$hecius s$eciosus without satisfactorily explaining the reason for them, I give below what Wesenberg says about the formation
of the cocoon and the reason for the exist- ence of these holes.
The larva spins its cocoon thus : It first pushes all the remnants of food into a corner of its cell, spins fine white silk threads to all the walls, makes a net of pure silk supported by these threads, closed and tapering at one end but kept open at the other end by threads to the walls of the cell. Then the larva pro- trudes its head and scrapes sand from the wall; when it has a lump large enough it brings it by the mouth into its net and dis- tributes the sand-grains
uniformly over the
inside with silk as cement. The outer side is then prepared with still greater care. Sand-grain after sand-grain is carried out and glued on, until the white silk cocoon is transformedinto a dark brown sand cocoon. The sand lump is now used up, but still the cocoon is lacking a cover.
A new lump of
sand is now scraped together, taken inside



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April 1894.J PSYCHE. 63
and the larva spins the cover of fine silk, dresses it with sand and then spins over the whole inside of its cocoon with a layer of fine silk so as not to scratch its fine thin skin. A circle indicates where the cover is fastenedon. The cover loosens at this circle when the Bembex is ready to crawl - out. This cocoon is water-tight. The larva
changes skin after closing up its cocoon, becomes smaller and smaller and turns
yellow, the head bends down under the
thorax and it then hibernates.
Fabre has overlooked that the cocoon has about its middle a circle of 8 or 10 small holes and correspondingly on the inside as many small silk pads as covers. Under-
neath these pads are fine pits with elegantly polished sides, the bottom of these pits being perforated by a very minute hole that from the outside looks like a black puncture. Directly under the bottom is the dark brown sand cocoon.
What role have these communications
played during the larval state?
Mr. Wesenberg's explanation is that when the larva has closed its cell it goes into a pseudo-pupa stage, and that within its body there still remains some particles of undi- gested food, which require air and oxygen for digestion, and that these holes are made purposely by the larva for admitting air, and just before the final papal stage it closes them up, before spinning the silken pupal covering.
Family X. LARRIDAE. This is
another family of digger-wasps, but
with the species much more numerous
although not so showy or highly
colored as those in the preceding
family. Several genera and between
60 and 70 species are known in our
fauna.
The genus Tachytes Panzer com-
prise most of the larger forms.
The
European Tackyfespom-piliformis Pz.,
according to -Shuckard, provisions its
cells with small~Lepidopterous larvae
which is contrary to what has been
observed of the species in America. ^J
Mr. Wm. H. Patton, in Ent. news,
vol. 3, p. go, states that Tachytes
mdibularis"~Pttn. is common at
Hartford, Ct., "forming hillocks three
or four inches in height and the same
in breadth of base, upon the sidewalks
and lawns about September first. It
stores up Xiphidiuin for its brood."
Mr. D. W. Coquillett tells me in
California he has observed Tachytes
mfo fasciatus Cr. storing its cells with young grasshoppers Melanoplus cyan-
ipes; while Tachytes hayfax preys
upon Xi'hidium brevifenne.
Dr. Riley, in Rep. U. S. ent. comm.,
vol. 1, p. 317, states that Larra
(Lawoda) sewfa Cr. is reported to
capture young Melanoflus sfretus;
while according to his MS. notes
Larra terminata preys upon Chorto-
$flag-a viridifasciata.
In the south, I have seen Larra
argentata provision its cells with a
small immature cricket, which it com-
pletely paralyzes before storing away
in its clay cell. From a single cell, I
have taken as many as six of the small
crickets.
Mr. Patton (1. c. supra) says that
Lyroda sub-ifa Say "is peculiar for its
non-fossorial tarsi ; and its method of
carrying Nemobius, which it catches
to feed its young is interesting. It
holds the cricket by clasping the base
of the antennae between its mandibles




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6 4 PS YCP7E. [April 1894.
and clypeus, the minute teeth here
preventing the antennae from slipping
-this explains the use of the teeth on
clypeus."
The species in the genus Astata
Latr. prey upon Homopterous insects
belonging to the Pentatomidae. The
European Astata boots Schr. preys
upon the nymphs of Picromerus bidens
Linn., PaZomena viridessima Poda
and P. dissimilis Fabr., while in Cali-
fornia Mr. D. W. Coquillett has
taken Astata nubecula Cr. in October,
preying upon Thyanta rugxlosa Say
and storing them in a burrow formed
in a limestone formation.
Family XI. AMPULICIDAE. In
this small family only a single species, Rhinotsis canaliculata Say, is found
in the United States. It is exceedingly
rare and nothing is known of its habits, but it has probably similar habits to its oriental cousin Am$uZex com1)ressum
Fabr., which preys upon cockroaches.
Family XII. SPHECIDAE. The
species, in this family, vary greatly in size and habits. It is represented in our fauna by about 80 species distributed in 9 genera, and some curious mistakes
have been made about them both as
regards the unity of habits in the species and their mode of living.
The genus @hex Linn. preys upon
young Acridiidae and Locustidae. Dr.
Packard has observed Sphex ichneu-
monea L. in Massachusetts in the last
week of July and during August and
early in September, digging their holes