1904 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 17 



A few interesting things — entomologically speaking — h.ave come under 

 my notice in the past season : — 



Vespa Diabolica. 



In the 34th report of the parent Society, page 11, will be found a 

 notice of a colony of this species which had their nest under the cap of a 

 newel-post of a flight of steps to the verandah of the residence of J. H. 

 Simmons, Esq. Attention was first drawn to this colony by a servant maid, 

 who, while sweeping the steps, knocked her broom upon the post and 

 brought upon herself an attack from the wasps. With a swollen and in- 

 flamed face, she rushed to her mistress, exclaiming : "Ah, Madame, les 

 petites betes jaiines sont venues me piquez;" (Ah, Ma'am, the little yellow 

 flies have stung me). 



Through the kindness of Mr. Simmons, I am now able to lay the nest 

 ■of the wasps before you. It contains, you perceive, one tier of cells only, 

 and this was closely attached to the under side of the cap. The number 

 of cells is seven hundred. Between the cap and the top of the post itself 

 was a small space as there was between the side casing and the post. The 

 insects worked in the confined space under the cap and carried on their oper- 

 ations in darkness. They found entrance and exit through a small hole 

 in a joint of the casing. The means taken by the wasps to prevent intrusion 

 by predacious insects is remarkable. They suspended a series of paper 

 curtains, some fifteen in number, which closed up the space between the 

 post and the inner sides of the casing, &o that an intruding insect, groping 

 in the dark, would find itself entangled in a veritable* labyrinth. If H 

 happened to strike the well guarded way of the wasps, it would doubtless 

 meet with a warm reception. 



Fig'. 3. Larva of Wasp : dorsal view, Fig. 4. Parasite of Ci mix. r Americana, showing 



greatly enlarged. under side, much enlarged. 



It may be wondered how the larva of a wasp (Fig. 3), hanging in an 

 open-mouthed cell, with its head downward, can retain its position. Last 

 summer I had the opportunity of studying the live larva, I found a nest 

 in which the first of the larvse had attained their full growth. I found 

 the creatures somewhat top-shaped, very broad at the shoulders so as to fill 

 the opening of the cell and press upon the sides, and then gradually taper- 

 ing to the extremity. The body ended in a pair of claspers which reached 

 into the narrowed end of the cell. When a larva was turned out of its 

 dwelling, I noticed that it extruded from its under side a series of excres- 

 cences as if to find a hold by means of these. I think we may say that the 

 larva is held in place by its claspers, its pseudopodia, and by the pressure 

 of its thoracic segments upon the sides of the cell. 



A Battle Royal. 



On May 29th, I witnessed, in the hangard at my place, a fierce contest 

 between a female of Vespa arenaria and a spider. I separated the com- 

 batants, for I wanted the wasp for my collection. A few hours afterwards 

 I noticed that the spider was dead. 



2 EN 



