Part Te 
Descriptions of New Species and 
Life History Studies 
By Francis X. WILLIAMS 
Hawatian Sugar Planters’ Association Experiment Station. 
PRERACE: 
The great wealth of insect life in the tropics has long been a 
matter of comment among naturalists. And since insects are so 
abundant there, it follows that, living in such varied environment, 
many curious habits and structures are developed among them. 
The ants, bees and wasps form no exception to this statement 
and we find that these vary more both in themselves and in their 
handiwork than do those of temperate Europe and America. 
As a student of wasp-life, first in the United States and later 
in the Philippine Islands, the superiority of the tropical over the 
temperate regions as a field less ex xplored and offering greater 
opportunity for biological work, strongly impresses my memory. 
In glancing over the literature which relates to the habits of ants, 
bees and wasps however, it is seen that with some notable ex- 
ceptions the works leave much to be desired. This is due chiefly 
to the fact that the field entomologist is often handicapped for 
time and so is unable to make a prolonged study of the fauna 
of one locality. This applies especially to the tropics. I con- 
sider myself fortunate, therefore, when in the Philippines, from 
June, 1916, to September, 1917, I was able to make a resident 
study of many wasp activities and thus observe them from day 
to day or week to week. The results obtained indicate, as usual, 
hardlly more than a skirmish in the vast field that here lies spread 
before the entomologist who wishes to take up studies along 
these lines. 
The opportunity for this study presented itself when I was en- 
gaged by the Experiment Station of the Hawatian Sugar Plant- 
ers’ Association, in entomological work at the Philippine College 
of Agriculture, Los Banos, Luzon Island. The college is ideally 
situated for the study of insect life. It is about 40 miles by rail- 
road south of Manila, and lies immediately at the base of Mt. 
Makiling. This well forested peak is an ancient volcano which 
