72 



WILD LIFE IN CALIFORNIA 



seen them more frequently and in greater 

 numbers hovering about and alighting on the 

 outer leaves and branches of oak trees that 

 seemed to be infested with minute insects; but 

 in neiher case could I determine beyond doubt 

 whether the wasps were gathering food for 

 the young or were eating for their own sus- 

 tenance. The only time I ever saw a Polistes 

 consume any food and felt sure there could 

 be no mistake about it was in the case of the 

 incident just related of the Polistes taking the 

 baby grasshopper out of the spider web; but 

 even then it might have been preparing it for 

 its young. 



Lutz says the food of the Polistes consists of 

 "chewed-up animal matter, such as caterpil- 

 lars, but some species use honey and pollen 

 also." Kellogg says the "food consists of par- 

 tially masticated remains of various insects 

 pursued and killed by the queen and work- 

 ers." Comstock says the entire family to 



which these wasps belong are predaceous, 

 and they "feed their young upon insects which 

 they have masticated. These wasps are also 

 fond of sweets of flowers, the juices of fruits, 

 and honey dew." Sharp states that the queen 

 wasp first supplies her young "with saccharine 

 matter procured from flowers or fruits, but 

 soon gives them a stronger diet of insect 

 meat, reduced to a pulp by means of the 

 mandibles; this is offered to the larvae which 

 are said, to stretch out their heads to the 

 mother to receive the food after the manner 

 of nestling birds." The Peckhams say the 

 Polistes "feed their young on animal food" 

 without bringing into play their stings to aid 

 in the capture of insects for the purpose. 



Here is presented considerable testimony as 

 to what kind of food the larva of the polistes 

 are fed upon, but not much as to what the 

 mature wasp after it changes from the grub 

 form relies upon to sustain its existence. 



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•-VVW 



