WASPS, SOCIAL AND SOLITARY 



month of August remained over the winter and hatched 

 in May and June. 



Almost as interesting as rubrocinctum is the slightly 

 larger species, T. albopilosum. This wasp has a great 

 liking for the posts that support the balcony of our cot- 

 tage, a preference that is very convenient for us, as it 

 enables us to sit in the shade and watch their doings at 

 our ease. 



One afternoon as we sat, literally, at our posts, a fe- 

 male of albopilosum came humming along, looking very 

 important and energetic, as though she had planned 

 beforehand exactly what to do. She entered an empty 

 hole, head first, and at once began to gnaw at the wood, 

 kicking it out backwards with considerable violence. 

 After a few minutes she changed her method of work, 

 and began to carry out loads of wood dust in her mandi- 

 bles, dropping it in little showers just outside the nest, 

 and then hastening back. In forty minutes she carried 

 out, in this way, upwards of fifty loads. She then flew 

 awav, but returned in ten minutes with a male. She 



* * 



alighted, he took his place on her back, and they went in 

 together. 



After a time they came out and both flew away, but the 

 next morning they came back and the nest was stored. 



In this species the male does not always come out of 



190 



