April, '06] 



ENTOMOLOGICAL .NEWS. 



139 



Figs. 14, 15, 16, and 17. Somatochlora kttds&tirica. Figs. 14, 15 and 16, 



abdominal appendages of cT, Grand Lake, Newfoundland. July 



21, 1901, D. A. Atkinson, collector. Fig. 17, vulvar lamina of 



9, Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, July 7, 1901, D. A. Atkinson, 



collector. This female has the abdomen laterally crushed. 



Figs. 18, 19, and 20 Somaiochlora albicincta. Figs. iSaiid 19, abdominal 

 appendages of rf , Kukak Bay, Alaska, June, 1899, T. Kincaid, 

 collector. Fig. 20, vulvar lamina of , Kadiak, Alaska, July 4, 

 1899, M. Cole, collector. 



Vulvar lamina of Somaiochlora semicircularis 9, mountains 

 of Southwestern Colorado, 1 1,000-12,000 feet. 



Fig. 



21. 



An Emergency Case in Insect Architecture. 



BY S. ARTHUR JOHNSON. 



Last fall I discovered a Vespa nest attached to the north end 

 of the entomology building. Attracted by its curious form, I 

 secured it and was surprised to find that it represented an in- 

 sect tragedy. From the location of the nest and its form, it 

 is evidently one made by Vespa diabolica, though no insects 

 were found in it to confirm this statement. 



The nest had been be- 

 gun in the usual way and 

 reached the stage where 

 two layers of paper 

 formed a sphere about a 

 comb containing a num- 

 ber of cells. At this 

 time, the cord of suspen- 

 sion gave way, dropping 

 the comb to the bottom 

 of the nest, where, being 

 unable to pass through 

 the aperture on account 

 of its size, it hung sus- 

 pended in an inclined 

 position. The wasp then 



built on the lower half of the original sphere, a very much 

 elongated structure, composed of about three very irregular 

 layers. The exterior was unusually rough, and so insecure! y 

 attached that it broke away with very little handling of the nest. 



Apparently this attempt to repair damages was not sucev-s- 

 ful, for the work never advanced beyond this crude stage. 

 One of the larvae, at least, reached the pupa stage, for its ca- 

 coon was found in the comb. 



The incident is interesting as illustrating what an insect will 

 do when brought face to face with a new condition. 



