8 NATURAL RESOURCES SURVEY 



had received that they made no effort to escape). The digger 

 wasps climbed into the Gutierrezia bushes and hung on for 

 dear life with all of their feet wrapped about the stem, an 

 attitude that they also assume during a shower; the snout 

 beetles on the other hand backed down off the Gutierrezia and 

 sought shelter in the ground; the wooly bears and other 

 caterpillars curled up under the shelter of tufts of grass; 

 most of the lizards sought their holes as did the harvester 

 ants; but these Tenebrionidae went about their business as 

 usual entirely oblivious, apparently, of the storm. Their 

 heavy bodies kept them from being blown away and their 

 heavy coat of chi bin (it is hardly possible to force a heavy 

 insect pin through some species) defied the drifting sand. 



In their disposition not to be too particular as to what they 

 eat they again show that they are true children of the desert. 

 Anything from the tender green seedling leaves of a Hoff- 

 manseggia to a dead member of their own species is good. 

 They collect in large numbers about the carcass of a dead 

 mammal. They will come out from their winter quarters 

 Bunder the rosettes of Yucca and other sheltered places any 

 time in winter if it is as warm as 60 F. They have been 

 taken by the author on Jan. 15. However these beetles be- 

 :gin to be less abundant at Taos. On the other hand they 

 :seem somewhat to shun the hottest hours of the day in sum- 

 mer, being then much more noticeable toward sunset. 



HYMENOPTERA 



Andrena jessicae. Also in the mountains to the lower edge 

 of the Yellow Pine Assn. i. e. Sonoran. Frequents Cratae- 

 gus (cultivated), Tamarix, Wild plum, Fallugia, Astragulus 

 caryocarpus. From April 11 to June 6. 



Anthophora affabilis, Cress, at loco (Astragulus mollisimus). 



A. lesquerella, Ckll. From Phacelia corruga, Tamarix, loco. 

 One from Ribes in the Sandia Mts. All in April. 



A. porterae, Ckll. Very abundant about Astragulus cary- 

 ocaspus, but also taken from Cherry, Phacelia corruga, loco, 

 wild plum. Sonoran. From Mar. 25 to May 7. 



* * A. porterae var. watsoni, Ckll. With the last. March 

 27 to May 15. During the last week in March this is the 

 most abundant bee on the campus. 



