462 



INSECTS ABROAD. 



mostly caterpillars, but they often employ caterpillars, just like 

 the Sand Wasps of our own land. 



It has been said that the Pelopaus not only places a disabled 

 insect in the cell occupied by its offspring, but continually adds 

 fresh insects as those which are already within are devoured. 

 Mr Westwood however, totally dissents from this opinion, on 

 1 the ground that none but the 

 social Hymennptera feed the young 

 larvae. 



The accompanying illustration 



depicts a South African species, Pe- 



lopcBus chahjheics. The specific name, 



which signifies " blue," is given to 



it because its wliole body is of a 



deep rich blue, very much like that 



of the blue-bottle fly. The whole 



of the head, thorax, and abdomen 



are thickly and deeply punctured, 



which gives additional richness to 



the colouring. The wings are dark, 



with a slight but decided blue gloss. The insect is shov/n as 



standing upon its mud-built nest, the aperture which serves as 



entrance into the last cell being seen towards the bottom. 



(Sliiuing bine.) 



On Plate IX. Fig. 2 is seen the figure of an Australian 

 species, called PclojJceus Icetus, flying towards the nest, which is 

 placed on the trunk of a tree. 



Although not so brilliant a species as the last, it is boldly 

 and prettily coloured. The general hue of the body is black, as 

 far as the end of the thorax, in the middle of which is a bold 

 oblong patch of yellow. From the end of the thorax to the 

 middle of the abdomen the colour is j^ellow. Then comes a 

 broad band of black, and the rest of tlie abdomen is yellow. 

 Tlie antennas are also yellow, and there is a collar of the same 

 colour on the neck. 



It has been discovered that some species of the Peloposus are 

 parasitic creatures, affecting the nests of a solitary bee called 

 Eumenes. That this is the fact has been proved by finding in 

 the nests of the Eumenes the cocoons'of tlie Pelopaius, wliich 

 are almost exactly like those of the Annnophila which have 

 been already described. 



