1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE, 



645 



ORDERS OF INSECTS. 



We study animals with more interest than 

 we do plants, and man with decidedly more 

 avidity than any of the lower animals; and 

 so of all insects none awaken the same en- 

 thusiasm from the student of zoology as do 

 the highest, the order of the ants, wasps, 

 and bees. These, from their wondrous hab- 

 its, their equally exceptional anatomy and 

 physiology, and their marvelous instincts, 

 have always awakened the profound admi- 

 ration of all students of this department of 

 natural history. This order is known to 

 science as 



HYMENOPTERA. 



These insects, except those like the work- 

 er ants, which are wingless, possess four 

 membranous wings, and hence the name Hy- 

 menoptera, which means membranous wings. 

 We have seen that the Diptera have mem- 

 branous wings, but only two. The mouth- 

 parts of the Hymenoptera are of the biting 

 or mandibulate type, though in some the 

 under lip, or labium, is modified into a most 

 perfect tongue or sucking organ, as exem- 

 plified in the higher bees; yet all have the 

 well developed normal mandibles, or jaws. 

 We who have studied bees or wasps or ants 

 are well aware of the strong jaws which 

 move sidewise. and, upon occasion, as seen 

 in the ants, can do good execution. The 

 Xylocopa, or "carpenter bees," use these 

 strong jaws to bore the large smooth holes 

 in wood, as do some species of ants, which 

 serve for nests or the home. 



The transformations of the Hymenoptera, 

 as we should expect, are very complete. In 

 almost all the higher forms, the larvae are 

 footless and often absolutely helpless, and 

 so are nursed and cared for as carefully and 

 tenderly as are the equally dependent in- 

 fants of our own kind. This is obviously a 

 high development; for the time of adoles- 

 cence is a most trying one, and so to be 

 shut away from danger and cared for by the 

 mature and stronger ones is a signal advan- 

 tage. No bee, wasp, or ant is exposed to 

 the rough usage of the world until full ma- 

 turity, and thus have a unique history, an 

 early good fortune, not possessed by even 

 our own kind. No law against the ' ' employ- 

 ment of children ' ' is ever called for in the 

 ant, wasp, or bee world. " 'Tis a lesson we 

 should heed." 



POLLINATOR. 



The insects of this order do a tremendous 

 good to man in pollinating our plants. No 

 plant can bear seed unless pollinated. Many, 

 most, will not fruit at all unless seeds are 

 produced. A large number will not seed 



with their own pollen. They must be cross- 

 pollinated. To these many of our most 

 valued fruits and vegetables belong, r We 

 say these are sterile to their own pollen. 

 Bees are pre-eminently the agents of this 

 cross-pollination. We may announce, then, 

 that these insects are chief among the 

 world's philanthropists, if, as we believe, 

 philanthropy means working for the good of 

 others. Even our clover, the most impor- 

 tant single plant, I believe, is absolutely de- 

 pendent on bees for its seed, and so for its 

 perpetuity. So must we not all say, God be 

 praised for the bees? 



PARASITES. 



It is in this order also that we find the 

 greatest number and most important insect 

 parasites. True, as we have seen, the 

 tachina flies do great food in this role; yet 

 here we have four large families that are al- 

 most exclusively parasitic. Many of these 

 are very minute, and of metallic colors, so 

 that, when viewed with the microscope, they 

 are of exceeding brilliancy and beauty. Of 

 such are the myriad chalcid flies, which do 

 incomparable good in destroying our worst 

 insect foes. Their interesting work is as 

 follows: The mature chalcid, or ichneumon 

 fly, lays its one or more (usually more) 

 sometimes even scores of eggs, in some luck- 

 less grub or caterpillar, or other insect 

 larva. These soon hatch, when the little 

 larv£e find in their victim both home and 

 food. They find in their home a veritable 

 banquet of tender insect steak, and are not 

 slow to feast on it, unmindful of the agony 

 of the fated victim. Thus our crops are 

 often generally saved by these other bene- 

 factors of our human kind. It is certain 

 that, without these hymenopterous parasites, 

 agriculture would be impossible. In Cali- 

 fornia these parasites have been introduced 

 from foreign countries to the immense prof- 

 it of the fruit-growers. 



MIMICRY. 



By mimicry we mean the development of 

 resemblances that serve, may be save, their 

 possessor. Bees and wasps are armed, as 

 we all know, with a very powerful and 

 venomous sting which they are not slow to 

 use upon occasion. This saves them from the 

 onslaught of birds or other predatory insects. 

 Many other insects, like flies and moths, 

 mimic these bees and wasps in a wondrous 

 fashion, in such cases the mimicking and 

 the mimicked usually fly at the same time 

 of day and year, and are lured to the same 

 locations. This mimicry doubtless serves to 

 protect the mimicking forms. The bird, 

 hungry and eager, mistakes the fly or moth 

 for a wasp or bee, and hastens by, when 

 otherwise it would halt for a fly or moth 

 banquet. 



GALLS. 



All have seen the oak-apples, or galls, 

 which, though not confined to oak-trees, are 

 very numerous on many species of oak. 

 While some maggots, some plant-lice or 

 aphids, etc. . form galls, yet most galls are 

 caused by the Cynips, a family of Hymenop- 



