IV 



PARASITES AND ENEMIES OF THE 

 HUMBLE-BEE 



Many kinds of small animals, chiefly insects, are to 

 be found in humble-bees' nests. Some of these are 

 chance visitors, with no particular business there, 

 but others are dependent in some way upon the 

 humble-bees, and several belonging to this class are 

 very injurious to them, devouring the larvae and 

 pupae. 



Of the latter kind one of the most destructive is 

 the caterpillar of the humble-bee wax-moth (Aphomia 

 sociella). It feeds upon the brood of the humble- 

 bee and probably everything else that can be eaten 

 in the nest. The full-sized caterpillars are i in. to 

 i^ in. long, pale olive-green above and yellow 

 beneath, with the head and first segment orange- 

 brown above. They weave a loose web about 

 themselves into which they can retreat, safe from 

 molestation by the humble-bees. They are very 

 active and can run backwards as well as forwards. 

 A hundred of these caterpillars a nest infested with 

 them seldom contains fewer, sometimes many more 



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