NESTING HABITS OF SOME ANTHIDIIXE BEES. 259 



We attempted to observe whether or not A. porterx digs her 

 own nest or uses one already constructed by another insect. 

 Individual females have been obseived as long as 15 minutes at 

 a time enteiing, spending a few seconds within, and then leaving 

 various types of holes. At other times the bee merely looks in 

 and leaves. We have never seen this or any other species of 

 Anthidium digging in the ground. 



Sharp (9) states that the species of Anthidium do not form 

 burrows for themselves, but use suitable cavities formed by other 

 insects in wood, deserted nests of other bees or empty snail 

 shells. 



As far as can be ascertained, no one has before observed an 

 Anthidium bee to drive away another insect and take the nest, 

 although it has been generally assumed that it uses the deserted 

 nests of another insect, or a convenient cavity. 



While observing a wasp, Odynerus dorsalis Fabr., 1 building and 

 provisioning a nest, A. porterx was seen to drive away this wasp 

 and appropriate the nest for her own. A few days previous to 

 August 2, a female of this wasp 2 had been observed working 

 and nesting. During the morning of August 2, I had been 

 watching this wasp excavating and carrying out moist pellets of 

 earth. Shortly after noon she had apparently finished the nest. 

 The following notes were taken in the field near Base Line Lake 

 between August 2 and 5, 1926 (h). 3 



2 : 50'. See Odynerus returning, flying and carrying large 

 lepidopterous larva. She enters hole with it, staying but a 

 minute within, then leaves. 



3 : 1 7' 05". Back without larva. Flies in wide circles after 

 which alights near hole, tapping edge with antennae a few times. 

 Enters. Backs out. Flies away. The hole is 5 mm. in di- 

 ameter. 



3 : 38' 10". Back with another larva which she takes within. 

 Out, and flies away. 



3 : 40' 15". A. porterx is seen flying low along ground and 

 entering holes nearby. 



1 Kindly determined by Mr. S. A. Rohwer. 



~ An account of the habits of this wasp given by C. H. Turner, in BIOL. BULL. 

 42, 1922, p. 153-172, 6 figs. 



3 Initial (h) refers to notes of Hicks; (c) to those of Custer. 



