1980] 
Parker, Tepedino, & Vincent — Ammophila 
251 
the other sides. Nests were excavated immediately after their 
completion. All prey items were collected for subsequent identifi¬ 
cation. 
Results 
Nesting activity —Nesting activity varied greatly among female 
wasps. During the first week of observation at GF, four marked 
females did not nest at all. Although they were frequently seen flying 
around the beds and investigating the soil surface, they were absent 
for long periods of time and may have nested in other areas. Those 
wasps that did dig in the beds also showed considerable variability in 
their nesting activity: two females began five nests each; two others 
began eight nests each; and the remaining four began 1, 3, 4, and 12, 
respectively. 
Many of the nests that were initiated were terminated prematurely, 
before provisioning began. We observed complete provisioning and 
nest closure for only 10 (22%) of the 46 nests begun by the eight 
females. Because of our occasional absences from the nesting site, we 
probably missed the provisioning and completion of some other 
nests; but we are convinced that many of the nests were abandoned 
prior to provisioning. On numerous occasions, females dug nests, 
plugged them, and never subsequently disturbed the paint marks on 
the plugs. All abandoned nests were plugged with pebbles and soil. 
Hicks (1932) and Powell (1964) also noted that female A. aberti 
sometimes abandoned nests, and Brockmann and Dawkins (1979) 
recently reported high percentages of nest abandonment by Sphex 
ichneumoneus L., another ground-nesting sphecid wasp. 
Abandoned nests were frequently reinspected briefly by their 
builders. Inspection occurred at least once per day, usually for two or 
three days subsequent to abandonment, and was restricted to 
examination of the closing plug. In only four cases was an abandoned 
nest reopened, and three of these reopenings were by one wasp. 
Silver, whose behavior was also atypical in other respects (see below). 
Provisioning— The suggestion that A. aberti practices delayed or 
progressive provisioning is based upon limited observations and a 
few nest excavations: Hicks (1932) noted that some females took up 
to seven days to provision their nests (he also notes that others 
provisioned rapidly) and that the larva is sometimes large “before the 
final victim has been placed before it”; Evans’ (1959) excavations of 
two nests plus observations that one female took at least two (and 
