Ants, Bees and Wasps 
PICNICKERS in the reserves need to look carefully where they 
propose to sit, so as to avoid proximity to any nest of the 
large Bull-dog Ant (Myrmecia) . These do not construct very 
big nests, the population being usually not more than one or 
two hundred, but they make up for this by their viciousness and 
large size. Some of the commoner species measure up to an 
inch or more in length and can both bite and sting. If a nest be 
disturbed, these have the nasty habit of coming out by a back 
entrance and taking the inquisitive person by surprise from the 
rear. Other species, generally smaller, have the power of jump- 
ing, and as they ramble up the trees are given to dropping down 
on the unwary. Under stones and in old stumps other kinds 
of ants abound, usually in very large numbers. Some of these, 
such as the sugar ants ( Campanotus) , have very big queens and 
are incapable of stinging. On the gravel paths, immense mounds 
of the common meat ant ( Iridomyrmex detectus) are sure to be 
seen and need to be avoided. Their populations are enormous 
and the attack of the ants wicked. 
A large variety of bees and wasps will be seen, many fre- 
quenting the gum and teatree blossom. Wasps, belonging to the 
family Thynnidac , with their large size and yellowish banded 
or black bodies, may be seen in this situation, often the winged 
males with the smaller wingless females attached while pairing. 
Much more hairy and winged in both sexes are the Hairy Flower- 
wasps, Scolytidae. Both these families in their larval stages are 
parasitic on the grubs of ground beetles. 
Attached to the walls of buildings will be located some of 
the mud cells of the Eumenid Wasps, which have very long, 
narrow waists and store the cells with paralyzed spiders for their 
young. The so-called “hornets” — true hornets are social wasps 
and do not occur here — may be seen hunting for spiders with 
which they provision their underground cells. If fortunate, the 
observer may chance upon an unfortunate spider being dragged 
off to the burrow of the wasp. These wasps, Salius and its 
allies, are usually large, stout fellows with yellow and black 
bands and very long hind legs. Others of the same family, but 
smaller and more slender, will be seen on the paths, hunting 
for caterpillars instead of spiders. 
Scorpion-flies 
’Y'HESE insects, which are not true flies for they have four 
instead of two wings, belong to the order Mecoptera . They 
are represented in our reserves by the common Harpobittacus , 
a curious, elongate, brownish insect with two pairs of long, 
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