FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



sounds they produce, their hyaline wings, their ringed body, 

 even the odor they give off, all are apt to warn us and to 

 caution us. Yet though they pretend to sting they lack 

 the necessary organ for that purpose." The larvae are 

 all borers and, like most concealed larvae, rather uniformly 

 yellowish-white except for their heavily chitinized parts, 

 such as the head, which are darker. To illustrate the life 

 histories I have selected some of those species which may 

 be living in our yards. There are many more afield. 



The larva will be found in almost any 



Melittia cucurb but prefers squash or pumpkin. 



satynmrormis . 



it lives in the stems, causing them to rot; 



and Sanderson states that as many as forty larvae have 

 been taken from one vine. When full grown (about an 

 inch long), the larva leaves the plant and, going an inch 

 or two below the surface of the ground, spins a tough 

 cocoon the outer silk of which is well mixed with particles 

 of earth. In the South pupation takes place at once and a 

 second generation appears in July but in the North the 

 larva hibernates in its cocoon and does not pupate until 

 spring. The pupa has a horn-like process between its 

 eyes which is said to be used in cutting the cocoon. At 

 any rate, it gets to the surface in some way and the adult 

 emerges from April to September according to latitude 

 and other conditions. See Plate LX; the front wings 

 are opaque, olive green, and have a metallic luster; the 

 hind wings are transparent; the abdomen and legs are 

 reddish, the former being marked with black and bronze 

 and the hind legs having a long black fringe. The dull 

 red, oval eggs are laid singly. 



As the specific name indicates, this moth 



Memythrus bears some resemblance to the W 7 asp, 

 pohstiformis _ , . n T T- f 



Polistes. See Plate LX; the front wings 



are opaque and dark brown; the hind wings are trans- 

 parent, the male's being rather yellowish; the abdomen is 

 brown, with yellow lines on the second and fourth seg- 

 ments; the legs and the sides of the thorax, especially the 

 male's, are reddish. Each female lays several hundred 

 chocolate-colored, finely sculptured eggs with apparent 



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