HYMENOPTERA. 



33 



All species of the family, however, are not parasitic on humble-bees, for in South 

 America, where the tribes of the former are scantily represented, those of the latter 

 are numerous. Of the third family, we take as example the formidable Scolia 

 nemorrhoidalis, which is found in Turkey, Hungary, Greece, and Southern 

 Russia. Not very much is known of its habits and life-history, but such as is 

 points to a larval life parasitic on various beetles ; while other members of the 



Mut ilia europcea1, Female ; 2, Male ; and Scolia nemorrhoidalis 3, Male ; 4, Female. 



family have been taken from nests of the parasol-ant. In the Scolidce the wings 

 are present in both sexes. Figures of the male and female are given in the 

 illustration above. 



Family BEMBICID^. 



The members of this family are distinguished from the under-mentioned 

 Sphegidm by the formation of the labrum, which is much produced. In general 

 appearance they resemble the hornets and larger wasps. Bembex rostrata, figured 

 on p. 35, is found not uncommonly throughout Europe, but becomes more local in 

 the northern countries. The insects fly in circles, with a loud hum of their power- 

 ful wings round and round the burrows which the female makes in the loose sand 

 or earth. Here are stowed away the bodies of large flies, reduced by an application 

 of the sting to a state of unconsciousness ; and in each nest a single egg is laid, the 

 grub when hatched feeding upon the food which it finds placed within its reach. 



Family 



In this group the males are characterised by their slender form and small 

 size ; and both sexes may be recognised by their energetic hurrying to and fro 

 with quivering wings and antennae, moving rapidly on all sides, as they search 

 sandy commons for a suitable spot to burrow in, as well as for the spiders which 

 they numb with a sting and store up for the larvae. The members of the family 

 are universally distributed, being larger and more brilliant in tropical countries. 



VOL. vi. 3 



