CHAPTER XIV 



A PLUCKY WASP 



An Example of the Value of Persistent Effort in the Accomplishment 



of a Difficult Feat 



At Brookdale, Santa Cruz county, Calif., on 

 one of those afternoons in the month of 

 April when the freshness of nature and a 

 balmy air call all forms of life into activity, 

 some members of my family started out for 

 a walk, while I remained on the banks of the 

 San Lorenzo, whipping the stream for a few 

 trout for the next day's breakfast. The river 

 bank at this particular locality formed the 

 front door yard of our home. The folks 

 had not proceeded far when they discovered 

 on the roadside a spider wasp that had cap- 

 tured a spider of about twice its size and 

 was dragging it along the ground. Knowing 

 my interest in the life history of members of 

 the wasp family and realizing their discovery 

 was that of an important proceeding in the 

 perpetuation of the specie of this particular 

 wasp, I was quickly summoned. Laying aside 

 my rod I joined the party at the roadside. 



On this spot the road was graded two feet 

 or more below the level of the ground on 

 either side, leaving almost perpendicular banks 

 of earth. The run off of storm water had 

 cut or worn somewhat of a gully along the 

 base of the bank on the north side in the 

 bottom of which was gravel and cobble stones. 

 Here and there in the face of the bank there 

 were holes with about the diameter of a lead 

 pencil. The relation of these details are 

 necessary to a clear understanding of the de- 

 scription of what was taking place. 



When first discovered, the wasp, which was 

 one of those with blue black wings and a 

 dark red body about three-quarters of an 

 inch long, was dragging a large, limp and 

 apparently lifeless spider towards the road- 

 side bank in which were the holes mentioned. 

 The wasp was walking backwards, dragging 

 its victim by one of its legs over the rough 

 bottom of the little gully. Reaching a cer- 

 tain point under one of the holes, it im- 

 mediately started backing up the bank with 

 its load. 



To us, somewhat acquainted with the habits 

 of wasps, it was apparent that its objective 

 was one of the "larger holes about eighteen 

 inches up from the base of the bank; but it 

 did not seem possible that the little wasp 

 would ever succeed in elevating the bulky 

 spider to that point or even to a less height 

 for that matter. The wall up which it was 

 climbing was filled with little projecting 

 stones and rootlets, which greatly added to 

 the difficulties of the wasp. These obstacles 

 would catch the loose legs or body of the 

 spider and hold it until the wasp by repeated 

 tugging from varied positions would succeed 

 in releasing her prize. 



The interferences were overcome one by 

 one until a small shelving projection of earth 

 was reached. Here Mrs. Wasp dropped her 

 load and went running around the face of 

 the small cliff, nosing about as if in search 

 of something or to get the bearings of her 

 destination. Seemingly she satisfied herself, 

 whatever her purpose may have been, for 

 she returned to the place where she had left 

 the helpless spider, to find that in her 

 absence it had rolled off the shelf and had 

 fallen to the bottom of the gully. 



The wasp seemed to know at once what had 

 happened, for she quickly followed down and 

 after a brief hunt found the spider, and im- 

 mediately seized it by a leg and started up 

 the bank again, going backwards towards the 

 same point as before. This time she reached 

 a spot about eighteen inches from the base 

 of the bank, where the holes previously 

 mentioned were located. One of the larger 

 holes opened among some small roots that pro- 

 jected and hung down from the face of the 

 bank, and in front of the entrance there was 

 a very narrow and sloping shelf. This hole 

 proved to be the entrance to her nest and in 

 which she intended to deposit the spider. 



Having dragged the victim, up the bank 

 after much trouble and exertion to a place 

 within a couple of inches of the hole and 

 among the little roots, she released her hold 

 while she went to the hole, possibly to see if 

 everything was all right to receive the spider. 

 She entered the hole but quickly reappeared 

 and then started for the place where she had 

 left the spider, but it was not there, for dur- 

 ing the absence of the wasp the spider slipped 

 off and fell once more to the bottom of the 

 bank. She did not spend more than a second 

 or two searching about for her game to 

 make sure she had not overlooked it. Satis- 

 fying herself it was gone she knew just 

 where to find it, for she flew down to the 

 gully almost to the exact spot where the 

 spider lay. 



Perhaps it would add more interest to the 

 story if I should explain here for those who 

 are not acquainted with the habits of the wasp 

 family, that the purpose of the wasp in cap- 

 turning the spider was to provide food for its 

 young. Upon catching a spider the wasp 

 stabs it with her stinger until it is paralyzed 

 and helpless or is killed. The victim is taken 

 to the nest or cell provided for its reception. 

 There the wasp lays an egg which she at- 

 taches to a favorable spot on the spider so 

 the baby wasp as soon as it is hatched can 

 begin feeding on it. Ordinarily as soon as 

 the egg laying is finished the wasp comes out 



