Wasps 



15. — Odynerus flavipes and its nest in a 

 spool. (After Riley.) 



of caterpillars in just the same way that the mud-daubers fill their 

 cells with spiders, and a single tgg is placed in each cell. Prof. 

 O. T. Mason says that cer- 

 tain beautifully shaped In- 

 dian vessels and baskets 

 have precisely the form of 

 these cells, and he thinks 

 the observant aborigines 

 may have deliberately cop- 

 ied the insect design. 



There is an interesting 

 genus in this group known 

 as Odynerus. These are 

 small active wasps, usually with one or more yellow bands. 

 They were probably originally borers, but are most adaptive 



in their selection of places in 

 which to make their cells. 

 They use the old burrows of 

 different bees and wasps, and 

 are fond of using old mud- 

 daubers' cells. Ashmead found 

 one species in Florida making 



Fig. 16. — Tiphia inomata. f After Riley.) .^ n • ^l 1 i ru- r 



^ ^ ' ^ '^ ^ Its cells in the lock of his front 



door, and in old holes in a board fence and in old oak galls. 

 Walsh found one building its cell in the cavity of a discarded 

 spool. These wasps also sting caterpillars 

 and store them in their cells. 



The insects of several of the families, 

 although resembling in general appearance 

 the other wasps, are probably parasitic in 

 their habits. These are the Sapygidae, the 

 Scoliidae, the Myzinidae, the Tiphiidae, all 

 well represented in this country, and the 

 curious Thynnidse of Australia, South America and Africa. By 

 parasitic we mean that their larvae feed upon or within the living 

 insects instead of such as have been paralyzed by the sting of the 

 parent, or which are already dead. The Tiphia wasps are para- 

 sitic upon the big white underground grubs which are the larvae 

 of the May beetles or June beetles, and the larva of Scolia has 

 been found in Europe within the body of another beetle, and 



31 



Fig. 17. — Chrysis sp. 

 fA/ter Packard.) 



