56 Some Solitary Wasps of Texas. 



spider, a slight motion on my part will make her drop her burden 

 and fly away for a minute or two. 



Miscophus catches for her prey young Epeirids of convenient size. 

 These are carried home on the wing if very minute; medium-sized 

 ones are carried in small jumps like the crickets of Larra, the length 

 of the jump depending on the weiglit of the burden; larger spiders 

 are carried on foot. I have seen no Pompilid carry her spider 

 quite like Miscophtis. This wasp grasps the paralyzed spider with 

 her mandibles by two or more of its legs, "slings it on her back*' 

 and marches off with it, walking forward, the spider hanging rather 

 to one side in an uncomfortable and awkward looking manner. 

 Arrived at the nest, the wasp opens it, enters and drags her prey 

 after her. After the nest has been stored and the egg laid, th« 

 tunnel is closed with sand and the surface smoothed over with 

 fastidious care. 



I opened two nests each of which contained six spiderlings, the 

 largest in each nest having attached to its abdomen near the pedicle 

 a minute egg. I did not succeed in rearing any adults for each of 

 the two larvae died after having lived a larval life of five days and 

 spun an incomplete cocoon. 



The nests were astonishingly small. The first had a tube two 

 mm. in diameter leading slantingly downwards for a distance of 

 three centimeters to a pocket measuring five mm. across. The other 

 nest was dug in a small clump of dirt which was itself hardly three 

 centimeters in greatest length. The nest measured but fifteen mm. 

 (% inch) in length including the round pocket, five mm. in dia- 

 meter, which harbored the spiders. 



Miscophus, though the smallest in size among the spider hunters, 

 is not least in interest nor does she hold a place in my esteem pro- 

 portionate to her size. 



