20G INSECT CALENDAR. 



out the infested berries before sending them to the table, A 

 rapid increase in its numbers would interfere seriously with the 

 cultivation of the grape in this locality." 



The Rose beetle (Macrodactyla subspinosa) appears in great 

 abundance. The various 'species of Buprestis are abundant ; 

 among them are the Peach-borer (Dicerca divaricata), which 

 may be now found flying about peach and cherry trees ; and 

 Chrysobothris fulvogutta, and C. Harrisii, about white pines. 

 A large weevil (Arrhenodes septentrionalis), which lives under 

 tlie bark of the white oak, appears in June and July. The 

 Chinch bug begins its terrible ravages in the wheat fields. 

 The various species of Chrysopa or Lace-winged flies, appear 

 during this month. 



The Insects of July. 



During mid-summer the bees and wasps are very busy building 

 their nests and rearing their young. The Humble bees, late in 

 June and the flrst of this month, send out their first broods of 



workers, and about the middle 

 of the month the second lot of 

 eggs are laid, which produce 

 the smallerrsized females and 

 males, while eggs laid late in 

 the month and early in August, 

 produce the larger-sized 

 queens, which soon hatch. 

 These hibernate. The habits 

 252. White-faced Wasp. ^^ ^1^^;^. peculiar parasite, Apa- 



thus, an insect which closely resembles the Humble bee, are 

 still unknown. 



The Leaf-cutter bee fMcgachile) may be seen flying about 

 with pieces of rose-leaf, with which she builds, for a period of 

 twenty days, her cells, often thirty in number, using for this 

 purpose, according to Mr. F. W. Putnam's estimate,* at least 

 one thousand pieces ! The bees referred to "worked so dili- 

 gently that they ruined flv.e or six rose-bushes, not leaving a 

 single unblighted leaf uncut," and were then forced to take the 

 leaves of a locust tree as a substitute." 



The Paper-making wasps, of which Vespa maculata (Fig. 252), 



•See "Proceedings of the Essex Institute," vol. Iv, p. 105, 



