4(i Some Solitary Wasps of Texas. 



and this I afterwards found in the chamber among the bugs of the 

 wasp's collection. She came out after this delay of a few minutes, 

 seized the bug, rose on the wing after the usual manner, settled 

 at the entrance and walked in with the bug, holding it under her 

 abdomen with her middle legs. Wlien only half inside the bug 

 was dropped while the wasp crawled inside over it. After ^4 minute 

 the bug was pulled inside from within, as is occasionally done by 

 Bembidula. In one-half minute the wasp came out, closed the 

 nest and after making a few detours at the height of three to four 

 feet, flew away. 



At 4 :10 she came back again with another bug. This time also 

 she encountered some difficulties in finding the entrance though 

 there were many sticks and leaves about to guide her to the exact 

 spot. Bembex or Microhemhex or Ammophila never has so much 

 trouble in getting into her nest even when there are no well recog- 

 nized land-marks present to guide her. But instead of "making 

 haste slowly,'^ this wasp loses time and energy in the hurry. She 

 immediately begins to dig for the entrance after having dropped the 

 bug, unlike Bembex, which continues to keep hold on the fly for some 

 time while digging. After the nest has been opened, the bug is 

 taken in exactly as before. In a minute the wasp comes out again 

 backwards, scratching out sand, possibly some that had caved in. 

 Finally she comes out head first scratching out sand, closing the 

 entrance imperfectly, and flies away. By 4 :51 she had come back 

 again and was busy excavating the nest, scratching the sand with 

 her forefeet and pushing it out with her abdomen. In this way 

 she soon closed the entrance from within and remained inside one 

 minute. At her appearance this time, she came out head foremost, 

 scratching in sand as she came, after the fashion of the larger bug- 

 catchers above described, when they are ready to close up the nest 

 and leave it. This I supposed Hoplisoides to be doing in this in- 

 stance and my suspicion proved to be wellfounded, because, when 

 the nest was nearly filled with sand, the wasp began to carry into it 

 bits of debris, that lay scattered about continuing at the same time 

 to scratch in sand on top of them, like Ammophila is wont to do. 

 While busy on the surface Hoplisoides holds her wings extended 

 out obliquely like the social wasps. When held at a certain angle 

 to the sun's rays, the wings have a metallic blue lustre. 



Convinced that the work on the nest was nearing completion I 

 caught the wasp and immediately dug up the nest and came upon 



