680 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI. 



The Sphegidce form their nests in burrows or construct mud cells. 

 Sphex lobatus (Fig. 77) is an Indian insect which provisions its nest 

 with Orthoptera. Rothney noted that a 

 large field cricket (Brachytriqies aehoe- 

 iinusl) was made use of. Peloptmus (Sce- 

 liphron) madraspatanus is common in 

 N.-W. India and is often known as 



the ' mud-dauber' 



(Fig. 78). It builds 



its cells all over the 



house but most often 



in the in habited 



rooms and is quite FlG - T^-Sphex lobatus. (India.) 



fearless. The cells are 4 to 6 in number and 

 Fig. 78. — F el o p ee u s 

 (Scelit>liron~) madras- are usually provisioned with spiders, about a score 

 vatanus. The mud- . . m , -..„ ,. , , 



dauber (N.-W. India.) or so m number. Ine eclitice is disguised when 

 •completed so as to make it look like a daub of mud. 



A tnpulex compre s s a, 

 another Indian species, 

 Fig. 79, makes use of 



cockroaches as provisions 

 for its young. It does not 



Fig. 79.— AmpiSex compressa. (India and Burma.) construct any Special cell 

 but makes use of holes, &c. 



Fam. XIII. For micidse— Ants. 



The antennae are elboweJ and trochanters undivided. The ants can 

 be distinguished from other Hymenoptera by the fact that they have a 

 constriction in the stalk which joins the abdomen to the thorax. The 

 individuals of each species are usually of three kinds, males, females and 

 workers, the latter which are the most usually noticeable of the three are 

 wingless, but the males and females are winged, though the females soon 

 lose their alar appendages. They are social Insects living in commu- 

 nities of various members, the majority being workers. 



