THE FOUR-WINGED PARASITES 



175 



of victims in which to lay their eggs, constantly vibrating 

 their antennae. Oc- 

 casionally, also, you 

 may see them visit- 

 ing such flowers as 

 have the nectar 

 freely exposed to lap- 

 ping by their short 

 tongues. Or you 

 may see them in the 

 evening as they fly 

 about a light to 

 which they are at- 

 tracted. 



The Ichneumon 

 Flies vary greatly 

 in size, form, and 

 habits. Some are so 

 minute as to be barely 

 visible to the un- 

 aided eye, while 

 others measure sev- 

 eral inches in length, 

 with long antennae 

 and slender oviposi- 

 tors extending be- 

 hind the abdomen. 



Among the largest 

 of the Ichneumon 

 Flies are the inter- 

 esting brown insects 

 called the Ophion 

 Flies. The life his- LONG-TAILED ICHNEUMON FLY 



