COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 



35 



Fig. (jy. — A Braconid fly, Meteorus hypiiantrle, and its 

 cocoon. 



them have rather large heads, long legs, and nearly hare body, 

 which is often brightly colored. Some dig holes in the ground in 

 which to rear their young. Others will tunnel in wood, and others 

 prey cuckoo-like upon the other groups. They capture all sorts <>1* 

 insects and spiders, and 

 store them in their nests 

 for the food of the young. 

 Many show much intelli- 

 gence in preparing their 

 burrows and in captur- 

 ing, stinging, and storing 

 their prey. Some of these 

 wasps (Mutillida?) have 

 wingless females (fig. 71). 

 The adults (fig. 140) can 

 frequently be found upon 

 flowers, upon the nectar 

 o„f which the}^ feed. 

 The mud -dauber wasps 

 (Sphegidae) (fig. 72) be- 

 long to this group. 



The Diploptera are stinging Hymenoptera in which the fore-wings 

 can be folded longitudinally. The body is usually nearly bare, and 

 the hind tarsi are simple. They are known as wasps. Some are 



social wasps (Yespi(hr) (fig. 73) 

 which make large nests in which 

 to rear their young and which 

 have three forms — the male, fe- 

 male, and worker. Others (Ody- 

 neridae) are called solitary wasps, 

 since they do not form colonies 

 and there is no worker form, (Mich 

 female preparing a cell for her 

 young. The paper nests of the 

 white-faced hornet, one of the Ves- 

 pids, are common in the woods 

 of the Eastern Slates. Other 

 species (yellow jackets) build 

 nests in cavities in the ground. 



The AntlwpliUa includes the 

 bees (Apidas), stinging Hjmenop- 

 tera,which are usually hairy and some of the hairs are plumose. The 

 basal joint of the hind tarsus is elongate, and it and the tibia often 

 fitted to carry pollen. The mouth of bees is provided with a tongue, 

 sometimes quite long, with which to lap or suck nectar from flowers. 

 88552— Bull. 67—09 4 



Fig. 7h.— a i'ymps and its gall. 



