MODE OF DEPOSITING EGGS. 409 



The Leucospis hunts over the walls until she has discovered 

 a Mason Bee's nest, and then settles by it. Eaising herself as 

 high as possible on her tarsi, she slowly brings the ovipositor 

 from the upper to the under side of the body, the point pro- 

 jecting beyond the head. She then carefully works the ovi- 

 positor into the nest until she has fairly buried it, and then, 

 passing an egg between the blades of the instrument, leaves it 

 in the nest. In course of time the egg is hatched, and the 

 larva eats not only the food which was intended for the Mason 

 Bee larva, but the larva itself. Here, then, we have another 

 example of the difficulty which is often found in determining 

 a species by hatching the insect out of the nest — a parasite 

 taking the place of the rightful inhabitant. 



The specimen which is given in the illustration is a male, this 

 being known by the absence of the ovipositor and the form of 

 the abdomen, which has only three joints, or segments, that of 

 the female having five. Its colour is black, varied with golden 

 patches and spots. The wings are yellowish brown. The genus 

 has a very wide, range, and in the British Museum there are 

 specimens from Europe, Asia, and nearly the whole of America. 

 This species inhabits Arii, whence its specific name of Arucra, 



Bv referring to the illustration, the reader will see that the 

 two preceding insects are remarkable for the thickening of the 

 thigh of the hind legs. This thickening is carried out to a 

 much greater extent in the remarkable insect which is here 

 shown, and which is called 

 Phasganojjhora, or " blade- 

 bearer," because the thigh 

 is modified into a broad, 

 flat, blade-like shape. 



In the female insect 

 the ovipositor is very con- ^SBWig^ ^JfiU^&k-- 



u&gmFy* ****•- 



spicuous, the instrument 



.. -in , tit t ,1 Fit*. -04.— Phasganophora signator. 



itself being black, and the (Black.) 



sheaths broad, triangular, 



and of a bright yellow colour. This apparatus is shown just 

 above the flattened portion of the hind leg. The wings are 

 transparent, and the whole of the body of the insect is black, 

 the abdomen being polished and shining, and the thorax and 



