More Hunting Wasps 



peared entirely. My lack of success was 

 due to the uncertainty of my excavations, in 

 which I had nothing to guide me over the 

 indefinite area covered. 



If I could at least identify the Scarabaeidae 

 whose larvae form the prey of the two Scoliae, 

 the problem would be half solved. Let us 

 try. I collect all that the luchet has turned 

 up: larvae, nymphs and adult Beetles. My 

 booty comprises two species of Lamellicorns : 

 Anoxia villosa and Euchlora Julii, both of 

 whom I find in the perfect state, usually 

 dead, but sometimes alive. I obtain a few 

 of their nymphs, a great piece of luck, for 

 the larval skin which accompanies them will 

 serve me as a standard of comparison. I 

 come upon plenty of larvae, of all ages. 

 When I compare them with the cast garment 

 abandoned by the nymphs, I recognize some 

 as belonging to the Anoxia and the rest to the 

 Euchlora. 



With these data, I perceive with absolute 

 certainty that the empty skin adhering to the 

 cocoon of the Interrupted Scolia belongs to 

 the Anoxia. As for the Euchlora, she is not 

 involved in the problem : the larva hunted by 

 the Two-banded Scolia does not belong to 

 her any more than it belongs to the Anoxia. 

 Then with which Scarabaeid does the empty 



44 



