2996 



THE JOINTED ANIMALS 



is found in Turkey, Hungary, Greece, and Southern Russia. Not very much is 

 known of its habits and life history, but such as is points to a larval life parasitic on 

 various beetles; while other members of the family have been taken from nests of 



Mutilla europcea i. Female; 2. Male; and Scolia nemorrhoidalis 3. Male; 4. Female. 



the parasol ant. In the Scolidce the wings are present in both sexes. Figures of 

 the male and female are given in the illustration above. 



Family BEMBlClDsE 



The members of this family are distinguished from the Sphegida, mentioned 

 on p. 2997, by the formation of the labrurn, which is much produced. In general 

 appearance they resemble the hornets and larger wasps. Bembex ro strata, figured 

 on p. 2998, is found not uncommonly throughout Europe, but becomes more local in 

 the northern countries. The insects fly in circles, with a loud hum of their powerful 

 wings round and round the burrows which the female makes in the loose sand or 

 earth. Here are stowed away the bodies of large flies, reduced by an application of 

 the sting to a state of unconsciousness; and in each nest a single egg is laid, the 

 grub when hatched feeding upon the food which it finds placed within its reach. 



Family 



In this group the males are characterized by their slender form and small size; 

 and both sexes may be recognized by their energetic hurrying to and fro with quiv- 

 ering wings and antennae, moving rapidly on all sides as they search sandy commons 

 for a suitable spot to burrow in, as well as for the spiders which they numb with a 

 sting and store up for the larvae. The members of the family are universally dis- 

 tributed, being larger and more brilliant in tropical countries. Some make their 



