4-H CLUB INSECT MANUAL 33 
Crane flies.—Quite often one sees long-legged, awkward insects 
which look like overgrown mosquitoes flying over the fields. They 
are commonly called crane flies. These flies 
vary from one-eighth of an inch to 2 inches 
in length and are brownish in color with 
mottled wings. The adults have lapping 
mouth parts and probably lap nectar from 
open blossoms. ‘These insects have complete 
life changes and spend the winter as eggs, 
or larvae, in the soil. The larvae are some- 
times called leatherjackets because of their 
leathery skin. Occasionally they warrant a 
control measure. Poisoned bait is effective. ji \ 
The male of the range crane fly pictured a va 
here, Zipula simplex, has wings but the Me — 
female is wingless. This species is from / \ 
three-eighths to one-half of an inch in length. © weurn s2—crane fy. 
HYMENOPTERA (WASPS AND OTHERS) 
There is another group of insects that in many respects resemble flies, 
partly because of their clear wings. ‘This group is the Hymenoptera. 
They may be distinguished from the flies by the number of wings. 
The winged Hymenoptera have four wings, but they are often so 
close together that it is difficult to tell whether there are two or four 
unless they are examined at the point 
of attachment to the body. Insects in 
the group vary considerably in appear- 
ance. Among them are the wasps, 
ants, bees, etc. For the most part, a 
basal portion of the abdomen is re- 
duced to a very slender, threadlike 
structure, which varies in length, de- 
pending on the species. 
Wasps.—In the wasp, this slender 
structure is very long. The mud- 
dauber wasp (Sceliphron caementa- 
= rtwm) shown here is almost an inch 
long, black with orange-yellow mark- 
ings. It has modified mouth parts 
for chewing and lapping. The © 
adult feeds on flowers, and the larva 
feeds on paralyzed spiders which 
the parent wasps store in cells. The 
wasp has complete life changes and 
overwinters as a full-grown larva in 
the cell of the mud nest. The eco- 
nomic importance of this insect is 
questionable. 
Golden digger wasp.—Another 
insect of the order Hymenoptera, 
closely related to the mud-dauber 
wasp, 1s the golden digger wasp. It 
also is about an inch long, black or 
FIGURE 85.—Wasp. 
Ae 
FIGURB 84.—Golden digger wasp. 
