132 
THE PEKIODICAL CICADA. 
within tlie eg^^ period of seven or eiglit weeks of the Cicada, and this 
accounts for its excessive niultiphcation, as described by Mr. Hart- 
man, and probably makes it wherever it occurs one of the most 
efficient agencies in kee])ing the Cicada in check. 
THE LAli(;ER ])!(;(; KIl \VA8I'. 
I have already referred to the pro])al)ility of tlie larger digger wasp 
{S phecius snecioi^ as Dru.) greying on ])elated individuals of the period- 
ical Cicada. That 
J the bulk of the 
brood has disap- 
peared, however, 
fl^ ., _ • ':^Mfel^!^^T ^SBEb ■ before this wasj) 
f' ' ''^^^^^BiES^^PR'^^V becomes at all 
a b u n d a n t h a s 
been often pointed 
out and is not to 
be questioned, and 
va of latter [j^ [^ ^yQ[\ kuoWU 
that the most of 
its work is with the later-appearing dog-day harvest fly (Cicada 
tihicen L.). With the assistance of Mr. Pergande and the writer, Pro- 
fessor Riley worked out the natural history of this wasp in detail in 
its relation to the dog-day harvest fly, and published a full illus- 
Fig. 57.— Cicada in l^urrow of Sphecius, with full-grown 1 
feeding. Natural size (after Rilej^). 
Fig. 58.— Sj)hecius speciosus: a, larva; b, pupa, from below; c, same, from side, natural size; c, head 
of larva; /, labium of same; g, maxilla of same. Enlarged (after Riley). 
trated account of the species." Its life liabits when it preys on the 
]>eri()dical Cicada are identical with its habits with the dog-day 
species or any other amnial Cicada with which it may store its bur- 
rows. A brief account of the habits of this wasp is here reproduced, 
together Avith the figures illustrating its very curious and interesting 
life stages. (See figs. 54-60.) 
a Insect Life, Vol. IV, March, 1892, pp. 248-252. 
