FABRES BOOK OF INSECTS 



honey I" I cried in despair. "Then what do you want, 

 you fiendish little creatures?" 



Well, in the end I found out what they wanted. 

 They wanted the Anthophora herself to carry them into 

 the cells! 



When April comes, as I said before, the heap of grubs 

 at the entrance to the Bees' cells begins to show signs of 

 activity. A few days later they are no longer there. 

 Strange as it may appear, they are all careering about 

 the country, sometimes at a great distance, clinging like 

 grim death to the fleece of a Bee! 



When the Anthophorte pass by the entrance to their 

 cells, on their way either in or out, the young Sitaris- 

 grub, who is lying in wait there, attaches himself to 

 one of the Bees. He wriggles into the fur and clutches 

 it so firmly that he need not fear a fall during the long 

 journeys of the insect that carries him. By thus attach- 

 ing himself to the Bee the Sitaris intends to get himself 

 carried, at the right moment, into a cell supplied with 

 honey. 



One might at first sight believe that these adventur- 

 ous grubs derive food for a time from the Bee's body. 

 But not at all. The young Sitares, embedded in the 

 fleece, at right angles to the body of the Anthophora, 

 head inwards, tail outwards, do not stir from the spot 

 they have selected, a point near the Bee's shoulders. 



[166] 



