'THE NESTING OF ANACRABRO OCELLATUS PACK. 
By George P. Barth. 
This little wasp, from six to seven and one half millimeters or 
-about one-quarter inch in length, is very common on the umbelli- 
ferous and composite flowers about Milwaukee during the month 
of July, August and early September. It is easily recognized by its 
compact form, rather rough, granulated exterior, sharply pointed 
abdomen concave below and convex above, with five sharply poin- 
ted triangular yellow spots on each side, and a line of yellow on 
the metanotum. 
Although very numerous the nesting site of the insect seems to 
be hard to find as very diligent search has thus far failed to reveal 
any nests in the immediate vicinity of the city. It was my good 
fortune however, to have my attention called to a considerable 
colony in a sand bank near the shore of Cedar Lake, Washington 
Co., Wis., — about thirty miles from Milwaukee — and here the 
notes following were taken. 
Anacrabro begins nesting labors about the middle of July but 
does not begin storing until a week or two later, as several nests 
dug up before July 22nd showed no cell formation or stormg. 
After that date nidification is in full swing. 
The first illustration shows what is evidently the typical nest- 
ing site of this wasp — a moderately large sand bank sparsely 
covered with tufts of grass and flowering plants and fully ex- 
posed to the heat of the sun's rays. 
Such banks usually are literally alive with a host of insects, 
generally digger wasps, eagerly, nay fiercely active on hot bright 
days in their efiforts to obey nature's mandate: to provide for 
the perpetuation of their species by the building and storing of 
nests. To a nature lover the sight presented gives the keenest en- 
joym.ent and abundant opportunity to indulge in that speculative 
philosophy which holds him enthralled for evermore when once 
his interest is awakened. 
Among the busy workers Anacrabro is easily recognized by 
certain peculiarities or characteristic actions which mark her ad- 
vent upon the scene. Unlike most fossores she does not alight 
and furiously attack the sand by scratching and gnawing but in a 
gentile, dainty manner approaches the bank on the w^ng and 
alights just long enough to give a discrete 'peck' and mayhap, the 
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