Wasps 



Fig. 9. — Cicada in burrow of Sphecius, with full- 

 grown larva of digger wasp feeding. 

 (From Insect Life.) 



The delicate, white, elon- 

 gate egg of the wasp is 

 laid under the middle leg 

 of the Cicada and when 

 it hatches the larva sticks 

 out its head and begins 

 at once to draw nourish- 

 ment from between the 

 segments of its victim. 

 The egg hatches in two 

 or three days and the 



larva attains full growth in a week, or a little more. It feeds 



entirely from the outside 



and when full grown spins 



a white silken cocoon which 



is finished at the expiration 



of two days. The word 



silken is somewhat mis- 

 leading, since it is mixed 



with much earth. When it 



is finished, about a dozen 



curious, porelike openings 



are seen in the side of the Fig. 10.— Larva of digger wasp spinning its 

 COCOOn, the function Of cocoon. (From Insect Life.) 



Fig. 11. — Sphecius speciosus: a, larva; /', pupa from below; 



c, same, from side — natural size ; d, head of larva ; 



e, labium of same ; f, maxilla of same — 



enlarged. (From Insect Life.) 



24 



