448 



Marvels of Insect Life, 



Photo byi\ [E. SU-p, F.L.S. 



Obscure Wasp-Beetle. 



Of similar form to the yellow-banded species, this is 

 black marked with grey bands, and a large purple- 

 brown patch at the base of each wing-cover. When 

 walking on the bark of trees these patches make the 

 beetle look like one of the wasps that have long, slender 

 waists. Four times the natural size. 



Photo by] [/■;. Stfp, F.L.S. 



Mullein-Beetle. 



One of the wasp-beetles, but scarcely wasp-like. It is 

 coated with yellow-grey scales and banded with black. 

 It is foinid in Europe, but not in Uritain. Four times 

 the actual size. 



But to return to our wasp-like beetle. ^ 

 Although it has obtained the popular name 

 of the wasp-beetle, the resemblance is not 

 nearly so good as in some of the moths where, 

 b}^ losing their scales on emergence from the 

 chrysalis, the wings also resemble those of a 

 wasp and bring about a true likeness in details. 

 Except when in flight, the wings of the wasp- 

 beetle are kept in concealment beneath the 

 wing-covers. And yet, the body of the wasp 

 being more conspicuous than its semi-trans- 

 parent wings, it appears to be sufficient that 

 the wing-covers of the beetle should have a 

 general colour resemblance to the wasp's body. 

 Of course, without something unpleasant in its 

 taste to back up its colouring, birds would soon 

 learn, probably, to distinguish between the real 

 wasp and its imitator, but the unpleasantness 

 appears to be there. Experiments have been 

 made in feeding Insect-eating birds and reptiles 

 with these strongl}^ marked Insects, and in the 

 majority of cases they have been rejected. 

 Sometimes, when impelled by hunger, an 

 attempt has been made to eat one, but 

 the offer of a second helping has been 

 refused. Recently we supplied a wasp to a 

 long-eared bat that we knew to be in a fasting 

 condition. At first it was refused, but later 

 it was eaten. The next day a second wasp 

 was offered, but the bat refused to have it. 

 A similar result followed the offer of the large 

 vellow-underwing moth, whose hinder wings 

 are banded with black. 



The larva of the wasp-beetle is a long, 

 whitish grub which, like the other long-horns, 

 feeds in wood, apparently more in the branches 

 than the trunks of trees. A few years ago our 

 " den " became somewhat enlivened by the 

 appearance of about half a dozen of these 

 bright and active beetles, and for a week 

 there were daily accessions to their numbers. 

 , The family were puzzled at this irruption, and 

 fears were entertained that they might be 

 infesting the furniture or woodwork of the 

 house ; but ultimatelv thev were traced to 



' Clytus arietis. 



