-2 - 
live in ne *n 
specit ••. i] -s. 1 which 
is approximately half an inch long, possesses a small sting with which 
it si lie grub of the Japanese beetle, but is no more dangerous to 
humans than a horse fly, and much less likely to be encountered. The 
male is about tr. ghths of an inc \ and has no sting. 
The Life Cycle of Tiphia 
The adult Tiphia wasps emerge from their cocoons in the soil 
May and June. In the Philadelphia area they are active between 
May 1 and Jun> Males begin to appear about a week ahead of the 
females. During a brief period of mating and feeding, both sexes may 
be seen alighting on the leaves of smooth-leafed trees or shrubs, m 
search of theminute droplets of sweet honeydew left by plant lice. Then 
the female Tiphia wasps start digging in the soil in search of beetle 
grub- or, which to lay their eggs. Tl i nd their pre ;e soil 
through a keen sense of smell. 
When a female Tiphia locates a grub she attacks it. This results 
in a struggle, which is quickly ended when the parasite wraps herself 
around the grub and stings it, causing a paralysis that lasts about 30 
minutes. While the grub is paralyzed the Tiphia lays a single egg on 
its under side, just behind its third pair of legs. The female Tiphia 
lives for about a month, and may lay 40 or 50 eggs on as many different 
grubs. 
The Tiphia egg hatches in about 7 days into a tiny, maggot-like 
larva, which remains attached to the beetle grub as it feeds and moves 
through the soil (fig. 2). The grub, weakened by the loss of blood which 
the Tiphia larva sucks out to support its own rapid growth, soon stops 
feeding and moving through the soil. While feeding on the beetle grub 
the young parasite grows very rapidly and attains full s. hin a 
days. By this time the grub has been consumed, • 
its head shell (fig. 3). The full-grown Tiphia larva then spins 
strong, water -tight, uin the earthen re 
d by the beetle grub. 
The spring Tiphia transforms into an adult wasp within coon 
in the summer or early in the fall, but i s in the ground u: 
ng spring. Then It 'he cocoon and 
.1 to start th< 
riphia lot '■ Jnpm 
n whi( 
■ 
i 
