

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 65 



the loss of its prey. It also threw sand rapidly, but I could not see that 

 the sand struck the ant except when it tried to escape up the side of the 

 pit back of the larva ; then the sand invariably struck it and brought it to 

 the bottom. The ant finally escaped, but the next day was again caught 

 and its juices sucked dry. 



In no instance did I see so much resistance offered as in this case ; 

 usually the ants seemed to realize that their adversary was one with which 

 they could not cope. From my observations I concluded that the larva 

 trusted rather to its long mandibles and the inability of its prey to readily 

 climb the walls of the pit, than to sand throwing where it did not capture 

 them in the first attempt, for I saw it throw sand in but few instances. I 



A. 7 



did not see it in the act of digging its pitfall but once ; it was then mid- 

 night and I did not stay to witness the completion. I noticed only that 

 it threw the sand out with its head, working very rapidly. I have some- 

 times left the room to return in less than an hour to find a completed pit 

 where before there was no sign of it. From the day of capture to May 

 nth I kept it supplied with ants, of which it destroyed numbers every 

 day, but on the latter date, either by design or accident, its pit was filled 

 level with the surface, and from this time to the time of pupating it dug 

 none, remaining hidden most of the time and but once taking any food, 

 then capturing an ant while concealed by a few grains of sand. On June 

 4th it constructed a round cocoon of silk, covered with grains of sand, 

 and about one-half an inch in diameter. I presume it immediately pu- 

 pated, but did not open the cocoon to ascertain. On July 8th the imago 

 appeared and proved to be Myrmeleon immaculatus. 



In the larva state it is certainly in some respects the most interesting 

 insect I have ever seen, its very activity and pugnacity exciting admiration \ 

 its mandibles were always ready to close upon any intruding object. When 

 I first obtained it I wished to preserve a description and in order to 

 accurately observe the colors I was obliged to remove the fine grains of 

 sand that were entangled in the short hairs on the body ; this I did with 

 a camel's hair brush, an operation to which the larva decidedly objected, 

 but it stood its ground and fought it out, constantly seizing the brush 

 .between its mandibles, often in its attempts to reach it springing quite 

 clear of the table. 



