3*4 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS 



Xyelidae 



Xiphydriidae 



Argidae 



Aulacidae 



Gasteruptionidae 



Trigonalidae 



Stephanidse 



Ampulicidse 



Vanhorniida3 



Heloridae 



Roproniidae 



Platygasteridae 



Scelionidae 



Ceraphronidac 



Belytidae 



Evaniidae 



Embolemidae 



Cleptidac 



Bethylidas 



Anthoboscidae 



Thynnidas 



Sapygidae 



Rhopalosomida: 



Prosopidac 



Fig. 633. — Nests of wall-bee on the Temple of Dendera. 



A remarkable accumulation of the nests of an Old World species of mason- 

 bee, known as the wall-bee, Chalicoderma muraria, was observed by the sen- 

 ior writer on the walls of the Temple of Dendera in Egypt. This temple, 

 which was buried by drifting sands long ago has been excavated by modern 

 archaeologists; but the inscriptions on the walls are being rapidly buried 

 again beneath a layer of the cement-like nests of the wall-bee (Fig. 633). 

 This bee is a member of the family of leaf-cutter bees, Megachilidas. 



