Field Studies of the Non-Social Wasps 331 
species of Coleoptera as food for her young, viz., a short, 
fat weevil, Thecesternus humeralis Say [E. A. Schwarz], 
and the long, slim weevils, Liaus concavus Say [B, A. 
Schwarz] (fig. 32). Less extensive observations at Lake 
View, Kan., and Wickes, Mo., gave the same results, but 
the data there were not sufficient to be conclusive. Of 22 
females which were caught as they returned to the nest, 
16 carried Thecesternus humeralis, and 6 had the long, 
_ Slender beetles, Lixus concavus. In the several brood- 
cells which I had the good fortune to explore, the former 
beetles were present in far greater numbers. In some 
cells all the provision was of that species. About 15 to 
22 beetles seems to be the ration allowed each young 
wasp. 
In all of the cells wherein the larva had already 
worked over the food supply provided for it, we found 
that it had separated each beetle into the three com- 
ponent parts, the head, thorax and abdomen. The head 
separates easily from the thorax in these beetles, and the 
larva undoubtedly takes its first meal from the soft tis- 
Sues at the point where the thorax joins the abdomen. 
It is wonderful to see how clean these beetle shells have 
been licked when the larva is done with them. (Fig. 33 
Shows the beetle remains after the feast). One wonders 
how it is possible for the larva to clean out the contents 
So completely without breaking through the body wall 
at various places, but when one sees the remarkable 
adaptation of its anatomy for just this purpose, one can 
readily see how it succeeds in reaching all parts of the 
body cavity. While it in general looks like all wasp larva, 
the oral end tapers into a nice point so that it is possible 
for this part to enter the abdomen through one opening 
and reach clear to the other end. The head part sways 
