Transactions Texas Academy oe Science. 
51 
so little paralyzed that it kicked spontaneously. Three of the bugs 
lived one day, while the lively one lived for five days. 
The egg had the conventional position on the sternum of a bug, 
but it was soon lost. A Muscid larva pupated on Sept. 3d and some 
Phorid pupae were also present in the bottle on Sept. 15th. 
It is thus seen that Bembex belfragei displays a considerable 
amount of individual variation in general disposition, in the man- 
ner of approaching and leaving the nest, in the time required to dig 
and store it. The effect of her sting is also variable, the victim be- 
ing killed outright or living as long as five days. It may be said 
that this wasp is a novice in the art of stinging her prey, though she 
shows considerable more skill than Bembex texanus or Monedula 
Carolina. 
(b) Bembidula Parata, Prov., and Bembidula Pictifrons, 
Smith. 
Of these interesting and rather common species my notes show 
observations on only four individuals. From a study of their hab- 
its I concluded that I was dealing with a single species. However, 
Ho. 58 below was identified for me as B. parata and No. 48 as picti- 
frons; of the others I am in doubt. Since the habits of the two 
species agree so closely, I shall describe them as if they were really 
a single species. The wasps are smaller and stouter than Bembex 
belfragei , big bug-catcher, and the yellow bands on the abdomen and 
thorax are comparatively broader and more intensely yellow than 
those of the latter, so that as the wasps fly around the impression of 
yellow is the predominating one over that of black, the predominat- 
ing color of belfragei. 
Specimen No. 58 I observed from the time she was flying around 
in search of a suitable place to dig her nest up to the final closing. 
The wasp began digging at several places and finally chose the 
side of a shallow pit where only the day before I had dug up an 
Ammophila nest. The pit was six inches deep and the nest was 
begun three inches below the upper edge of one side. 
Bembidula digs much like the other members of her family al- 
ready described : Bembex , Microbembex and Monedula. During 
the progress of the work of digging the wasp makes short excursions, 
(on foot chiefly), around the neighborhood. Wasp No. 58 con- 
tinued digging for about two hours and at 12 :30, when she had 
finished, she closed the entrance with sand. Before venturing away 
from her nest for the first time, she made a rather careful study of 
the locality, flying in and out among the herbs and bushes. In clos- 
