32 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



COMPARATIVE WING EXPANSE OF THE CICADA AND SPHECID, ILLUSTRATING THE 



GREATER SIZE OF THE WASP'S BURDEN. 



would have been the stupid one and 

 and the stupid ant the wise one ! 



A remarkable insect, capable of 

 adaptation under adverse conditions is 

 the Sphecid ; the largest and most pow- 

 erful of our native wasps. This insect 

 digs a deep burrow in sandy soil, at 

 the end of which two elongated cham- 

 bers or cells are constructed. In each 

 of these, the insect places a single 

 cicada or "Locust" that has previously 

 been paralyzed, but not killed, by the 

 wasps terrific sting. Now she lays an 

 egg upon the breast of each of the 

 unfortunate cicadas. When this has 

 been done the burrow is sealed with 

 earth and the young wasps feed upon 

 the paralyzed insects until the}' reach 

 what is known as the pupal state. In 



THE CARRYING TONGS ON THE SPHECID'S 

 LEGS. 



this form they spend the winter, is- 

 suing as perfect insects in the follow- 

 ing spring. 



It is true that the cicada is larger and 

 heavier, even than the powerful 

 Sphecid, and it will readily occur to 

 the reader, that to carry such an un- 

 gainly burden through the air, would 

 be an extremely difficult undertaking. 

 But here nature has assisted the insect 

 in accomplishing her function by sup- 

 plying a pair of powerful upturned 

 hooks or tongs, one of which is situated 

 upon the under side of each of the 

 w r asps back legs. These the Sphecid 

 simply fastens in the cicadas sides and 

 thus it is securely held during the 

 overland journey to the burrow. 



During the latter part of August, the 

 writer captured one of these insects, to- 

 gether with a cicada which it had re- 

 cently paralyzed. The carrying hooks 

 were then carefully removed from the 

 Sphecid's legs and after several hours, 

 the insect was replaced beside the 

 same cicada which it had been carrying 

 when captured. This was within a 

 few feet of the burrow. Now a re- 

 markable thing happened. The wasp 

 paid not the slightest attention to the 

 cicada, but flew rapidly away among the 

 trees. This I had expected, but to my 

 great surprise she returned to the bur- 

 row within an hour, carrying another 

 victim apparently in her first and 

 second pairs of legs ! The cicada was 

 suspended. "Tail" down in a line per- 

 pendicular to the wasps body ; the two 

 insects forming the letter T while in 

 the air. 



