108 THE SOLITARY WASPS. 



CHAPTEE XI. 



SOME GRAVE DIGGERS. 



Cerceris and Philanthus. 

 Plates I., figs. 3 and 8; VIII., fig. 6; IX., fig. 1; XL, fig. 2, 



Duf our, in describing the fearful ravages of Cerceris ornata 

 among the bees, says that the wasps of this genus are among 

 other insects what eagles and hawks are among birds. While 

 this characterization does not seem to fit the American species 

 it is certainly true that the genus stands out as one of those in 

 which the distinctive peculiarities are strongly marked. They 

 might be considered the aristocrats in the world of wasps, their 

 habits of reposeful meditation and their calm, unhurried ways 

 being far removed from the nervous manners of the Pompilidae 

 or the noisy, tumultuous life of Bembex. Their intelligence is 

 shown by their reluctance to betray their nests, and by their un- 

 easiness at any slight change in the objects that surround them. 

 It is not necessary to attempt to catch them, or to make threat- 

 ening gestures in order to arouse their sense of danger. If you 

 are sitting quietly by a nest when the wasp opens her door in 

 the morning she will notice you at once and will probably drop 

 out of sight as though she resented your intrusion into her pri- 

 vacy. After a little she will come up again and will learn to 

 tolerate you, but at the least movement on your part, almost at 

 the winking of an eyelid, she will disappear. 



Our three representatives of this genus all prey upon beetles 

 that are injurious to vegetation, and therefore deserve the grat- 

 itude of the agriculturalist. They are from one-half to three- 

 quarters of an inch in length, clypeata and deserta being band- 

 ed with bright yellow, while in nigrescens the bands are much 

 paler, being gray with a faint tinge of yellow. 



