Some Solitary Wasps of Texas. 65 



as Oct. 11; legs and mouth parts do not usually twitch simultan- 

 eously. Egg was the one most recently laid (Oct. 9). Larva spun 

 cocoon in night of Oct 14-15. Length of larval life 5i/i> days. Co- 

 coon soon turned dark brown. 



No. 4. — Locust a great kicker; jumped three feet with egg upon 

 it; lived till Oct. 11, when wasp grub was nearly half grown. Very 

 young larva showed trachea? when found (Oct. 9) ; begun to spin 

 cocoon at noon Oct. 14 ; cocoon light brown next morning. 



No. 5. — -Locust kicked violently when irritated as long as Oct. 10 

 though larva was 7 mm. long and half as thick. (The larva after a 

 few days is shorter, though very much thicker, than the egg when 

 laid). Larva spun cocoon a. m. Oct. 13. 



No. 6. — Same as No. 5. 



No. 7. — Ver}' small locust was dead when found for larva was 

 itself nearly as large as its victim; locust devoured Oct. 11; very 

 small cocoon spun Oct. 12. 



No. 8. — Large locust dead ; large larva reaching into thorax. Co- 

 coon spun a. m. Oct. 13. 



No. 9. — Locust dead; devoured Oct. 11. Oct. 12 larva tried to 

 spin cocoon but failed and died. 



From these data it would seem that there were three sets of grass- 

 hoppers according to the age of the eggs or larvae upon them. The 

 facts go to show that the first three were captured Oct. 9. No. 4 

 might possibly also have been captured and stored early the same 

 day, though more probably late the day before; Nos. 5 and 6 were 

 certainly stored Oct. 8th. Nos. 7, 8 and 9 were stored Oct. 7. Thus 

 this P. Thomae accomplished the feat of digging in hard soil and 

 proWsioning three nests a day for three da3^s in succession. It is 

 also significant that all these nests were made in such close proxim- 

 ity. The locusts were all of the same species and were, in all cases 

 but one, I have reason to believe, entombed alive and lived until 

 killed by the wasp-larvae themselves. 



In many of her ways Pnononyx Thomae reminds one of Ammo- 

 phila in her general demeanor; in running in and out of her nest 

 while engaged in its excavation; in the shape of her nest; in the 

 manner of carrying her prey, in laying it down at the entrance and 

 backing inside to pull it after her; in closing the nest and pressing 

 pebbles down upon it as if to add some finishing touches intended to 

 be ornamental as well as useful. 



