228 KANSAS UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN. 



The nesting activities were in a few cases watched from 

 beginning to end, and the following field notes will serve to 

 illustrate in a degree the habits of the female wasp : 



Grant countjs July 21, 1911. While walking in the sandy 

 valley of the north fork of the Cimarron river, I came across 

 a Priononyx atrata, at 2:35 P. M., astride a locust {Aulocara 

 elliotti) , which lay venter down on the ground. The wasp held 

 the base of the locust's antennse in her jaws and was dragging 

 it to a tuft of grass near by. She placed it on this slight eleva- 

 tion, and after a short search selected a hoof print hard by in 

 the sand as her nesting site. Bracing herself well with her 

 second and third pair of legs, she dug very rapidly under the 

 broken crust of sand with her jaws and fore legs. At inter- 

 vals she ceased from her labors to examine the locust on the 

 tuft of grass, two feet away. This being a region infested with 

 ants, the precaution was well taken. She was apparently 

 worried at being able to locate her prey only after quite a 

 search, and so when she finally found the same she seized it, 

 and, bringing it much nearer her incomplete burrow, again 

 placed it free from the ground, on a bent grass stem. In a 

 short time the burrow was finished and the locust stored 

 within, but not before a tachinid fly had viviposited upon the 

 latter. 



Priononyx filled up the tunnel by backing in, throwing in 

 the soil at the same time, subsequently using her head, more 

 specifically, her clypeus and jaws as a packer or ram. While 

 thus engaged she sometimes assumed an almost vertical posi- 

 tion. She dug a little in the opposite side of the hoof print in 

 order to supply more soil to fill in with ; when this was ac- 

 complished she did considerable leveling, smoothing over the 

 tunnel site with brisk strokes or her feet. This done to her 

 satisfaction, she sought to further disguise the place by de- 

 positing thereon pieces of soil (often several t^mes her own 

 weight) , twigs, etc. She did this last work very carefully. At 

 about 4:10 P. M. the task was complete. After taking a short 

 rest she sallied forth afoot in search of her prey. Her right 

 of way was unquestioned ; indeed, the various locusts in her 

 path leaped away at her approach, and on two occasions an 

 affrighted Hadrotettix (a large oedipode locust) spread out its 

 wings in a startling fashion, while still other acrid'ans raised 

 their hind legs in a defensive attitude. Finally, at 4:20 p. M., 

 she found her prey — a mature Aulocam. Pounc.'ng upon it. 



