BEMBEX 291 



inches deep, contained a nearly full grown larva and 

 twenty freshly caught flies, one of which was as large 

 as a " blue-bottle," but the rest were all about the size 

 of the common house fly, and appeared to be of several 

 species — three of one species, nine of another, one of 

 another, two of another, one of another, and three of 

 another. 



It is a curious fact that the mother does not know 

 when to cease provisioning the burrow, and gives her- 

 self much unnecessary labour. Thus, in the first case 

 described above, the larva was full grown and com- 

 menced spinning its pear shaped cocoon at once. On 

 another occasion I found that the Bembex had taken down 

 flies to a larva that had already begun to spin its oval 

 cocoon ! This is formed of silk, with grains of sand 

 attached on the outer side, and measures about an inch 

 in length. 



The mother Bemhex appears to pass the night in the 

 burrow underground, for quite often, if one visits the 

 colony early in the morning, a Bembex will suddenly 

 emerge from the ground at a spot where the soil has not 

 yet been disturbed that morning ; and also late in the 

 evening they may be seen going down into the burrows 

 and closing them behind them. The male spends an 

 idle life basking on the hot sand or darting about in chase 

 of the females, or sipping honey from neighbouring flower 

 heads. 



The Bembex is a most delightful insect to watch, as 

 she works at such high pressure, and so efficiently and 

 quietly. 



She has her enemies, for wherever a colony is found 

 there can be seen numbers of little brown insignificant 

 flies, by name Idia, who await a chance to go down the 

 burrow and deposit their own eggs on the flies laid up 

 as store by the Bembex for her own offspring. 



As was pointed out, the Bembex may close her burrow 



