BEMBEX 293 



unmistakable. Another burrow that was opened up 

 was found to contain the remains of several small flies 

 and of the Tabanid Chrysops brucei, besides two Tahanus 

 thoracinus. The fact that Bembecidae prey upon Tabanidae 

 is well known, but not, I think, that they prey upon 

 Glossina, the Tse-tse fly. 



In March 1912, I saw the following curious incident 

 on Bugalla Isle, where I had found a colony of Bembex 

 ugandensis. One was seen to come out of her burrow, 

 and soon returned with a small fly, went down, quickly 

 came out and flew away, leaving the burrow open. 



There now appeared on the scene a medium sized 

 fossor of quite a different type, with the black and orange 

 " Lycoid " colouring. To my great surprise the stranger, 

 after hunting about, found the burrow and went straight 

 down ! Then she came out again and stood waiting at 

 the mouth on the heap of loose sand, but soon went in 

 again and stood with her head blocking up the entrance. 



The Bembex now came back carrying a fly of some 

 kind, and attempted to go down the burrow, but on 

 meeting the intruder flew off in a great fluster, dropping 

 her prey. She soon came back, tried again, and again 

 flew off, nonplussed. The third time she managed to 

 get in, and I listened for the sound of an underground 

 battle, but heard nothing. 



However, in a few seconds the stranger came out, 

 not at all hurriedly, and flew away, but soon came back 

 and went in again while the Bembex was still there, 

 then came out again and stood at the mouth. I then 

 incautiously frightened it away by moving. 



The Bembex now came out and flew away, and the 

 intruder came back and stood inside the burrow again 

 with its head at the entrance. After a while it flew 

 away, but again came back and stood on the heap of 

 loose sand outside the entrance, then buzzed round for 

 a while and finally flew away. 



