Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-06-11
WATER nuas ANp uoousrs.
Their Dangerous and Harmless
Charncteristics-Th Deadly Digger
Wnsu.

Their Dangerous and Harmless
Charncteristics-Th Deadly Digger
Wasp.
Baltimore Sun.
Mr.. B. Hopkins. No. 131 Aisquith
street, has discovered in his garden
several large bugs, sample of which
has been brought to The Sun office.
They are the largest of the water-bugs in
this section, the "Belostoma Grisea,"
commonly called the gigantic waterbury,
now almost every day mistaken for the
advance guard of the army of seventeen
year locusts, which are due in about
month. This large waterbury, is COM
monty found in creeks and pools, where
it hides under large stones and between
the leaves of acquatic plants. II is quite
rapacious, living entirely on the blood of
fish, frogs and ncquatic insects. By
means of its very long arms il grasps its
prey, plunging its strong beak into the
flesh, at the same time squirting into the
wound n few drops of its violent poison,
soon killing its victim. This poison is
very likely injected into the wound TO
produce a more rapid flow of blood, of
which this insect is so fond. If it bites
man, which il is very liable to do, it will
produce n very painful wound, and the
pain will continue for days. The injured
part commences to swell at once, violent
headaches ensue, and lameness of bitten
limbs have followed. Application of
liquor ammonia to the wounds gives most
relief. Before the use of the electric
light these bugs were found once in
while on the streets of Baltimore, but
only during or after a heavy rain storm.
Since the introduction of the electric
light they ARE frequently attracted to it
in large numbers.
The seventeen-y year locusts, for which
this water-bug has been mistaken, will
commence to come out of the ground in
about month, although some few may
put in an appearance somewhat sooner.
A locust, though it has beak like the
waterbury, cannot bite with it, as it is too
soft and flexible to penetrate the human
skin. Neither can locusts inflict n sting;
they are harmless rs far rs biting OF
singing is concerned The reason SO
many persons are reported as killed by
locusts in locust years is probably be-
cause they are stung by large digger
wasps, which stop their burrows with
dead locusts. This wasp the "Stizzus
Grandis," searches for locusts, stings
them, and flies with them towards it,
burrows, prepared beforehand for theil
reception. The locust being about ai
heavy as the wasp, the latter has burden
and consequently its flight is irregular
and awkward, so much so thnt frequently
the two fall to the ground or ON peopl,
passing The sting of the wasp frequentl,
produces death in two hours. Tn
damage done by the locust is confined en-
tirely to the vegetable life, and is not ~
great by any means as has been claimed
and as a rule, indeed, the year following
locust year is a good fruit year, becaus
the summer pruning done by the locust
is an advantage to the trees. The locusts
laying their eggs in young branches NJ
to an inch in diameter, kill the portioi
above their eggs and produce in certain
localities rather severe pruning. Almos
all kinds of trees share alike in thi
pruning, and only young pine tree
escape to any great extent Locusts ca,
be made useful by keeping fowls an
chickens enough to devour them. Youn
orchards can be protected by simpl
keeping large numbers of fowls in then
These will eat up the locusts rs soon
they come ont of the grounds, while the
are yet in n helpless condition. III
locusts that come out this season weI
Matched from eggs laid i'll 1865. III
eggs were Matched in the branches thu
same year. The Larvae crawled down IL
tree and entered the ground, followin
the larger roots to their very ends, whel
they attached themselves to the fiji
fibres to remain until this time. No
they are making their way slowly towarc
the surface in the pupa state, its lit
flaps holding the embryo wings.
crawls out ON the ground still in the pun
state, and fastening itself to some objec
its back splits open and the still so
locust issues with wings still short l
about an hour these wings expand to fu
size, the body dries, and the insect
ready for business.