Wasps 



ability the Peckhams got from the study of nine wasps and fifteen 

 caterpillars ! 



The mud-daubers of the genus Sceliphron (formerly and in 

 most books placed in the genus Pelopseus) are among the most 

 interesting members of this super-family. They build their nests 

 of plain mud in sheltered places under the eaves of barns or even 

 in the attics of houses. The food supply with which the cells 

 are stored consists almost invariably of spiders, as many spiders 

 being packed into one cell as the cell will hold. A single egg is 

 laid upon the last spider packed in and the larva eats rapidly, con- 

 suming the abdomen of the spiders first and subsequently the 

 rest of their bodies, eating both dead and living spiders. After 

 the egg is laid and the nest closed up new cells are constructed 

 by the same female. 



A curious observation has been made by Schwarz in the 

 Washington parks and gardens. He found that one of the 

 Sphegid wasps — Chalybion coeruleurn — was engaged in captur- 

 ing a certain kind of spider which hid itself so carefully that it 

 was most difficult to find. Instead of spending her time in fruit- 

 less searching the wasp would entangle herself in the web of the 

 spider when the latter would immediately dart out from her 

 hiding place, thus exposing herself to the wasp who would 

 easily free herself from the web and chase the spider to its retreat. 



Life History of a Digger Wasp 



(Sphecius speciosus Say.,) 



This large and ferocious wasp, which is in fact the largest 

 wasp in what may be termed the eastern central states, that is 

 to say, from southern New Jersey southward, is very abundant 

 in Maryland, and Virginia and the mid-western states in the 

 month of July, digging great burrows, usually in clayey soils, and 

 storing in them for food the large dog-day Cicada, harvest-fly or 

 lyre-man, or annual Cicada ( Tibicen pruinosa Say). During the 

 latter half of July, when the note of the Cicada is filling the air with 

 its vibrations, this big wasp is often seen flying about the trees from 

 which the song comes. Suddenly the regular note of the har- 

 vest-fly ceases and in its stead a distressing, discordant cry will 



