VESPW.-E. IS I 



Wasps, as is well kuowu, are almost omnivorous, but are 

 especially attracted by sweet substances. Mr. Newstead 

 tells me that he once saw a number of Fuch-na blooms that 

 had been destroyed by wasps, which had eaten away all 

 the stamens and the pistil, and widened the aperture or 

 mouth of the tube to get at the nectar j some of the wasps 

 he found inside the tube in a complete state of stupor or 

 intoxication. He has also seen Gladiulus flowers destroyed 

 by these insects. 



Eleven species of Vc.<pa occur in Europe, of which six 

 have been taken in this country. 



The British species may be thus tabulated : — 



(2) 1. Thorax reddish brown crabro. 



(1) 2. Thorax black and yellow. 



lO) 3. Eyes touching, or nearly touching, the base 

 of the mandibles. 



(9) 4 Markings of the abdomen black and clearly 

 defined. 



(8) 5. Scape of antennse entirely black in the ? 

 and 5 > abdomen with pale hairs, dull, 

 tibiae without long hairs. 



(7) 6. (J more pubescent, sagittai of armature not 

 emarginate at the apex, $ and 5 with a 

 central black line on the clypeus, and with 

 the lateral yellow lines of the pronotum 

 parallel sided ...... vulgaris. 



(6) 7. cJ less pubescent, sagittaj emarginate at 

 the apex, $ and 5 with only 3 small 

 black spots on the clypeus, yellow of the 

 lateral lines of the pronotum more or less 

 produced on the outer margin . . . gkrmaxica. 



(5) 8. Scape of antennas yellow in front, abdomen 

 shining, with thick black hairs, tibiiB 

 with long exserted hairs .... ausisiaca. 



(4) 9. Black abdominal markings, especially those 

 near the base, more or less undefined, and 

 margined with brown, abdomen shining . rita. 



(3) 10. Eyes not nearly touching the base of the 



mandibles. 



(12) 11. Clypeus finely and rather closely punctured, 

 with a small black central spot, abdomen 

 without red markings .... svlvestris. 



(11) 12. Clypeus largely and remotely punctured 

 with a broad black central linfi, abdomen 

 generally more or less red at the base . NoiivEotcA. 



v. crabro, Linn. — Red-brown ; head punctured, yellow. 



