River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-11-01
WONDERFUL INSECTS.
Providing Living Meat for Their
Young.
Marvellous Instinct Displayed by Some
Members Of the Wasp FsmIIy-The
STUDY Of These Little Creatures
Of Absorbing Interest.


would have thought that the secret q
preserving fresh meat. which we ar
all now anXiOusly trying to find out
was known ana practiced ages ago by
the wasp family, and that in way
much more clever than we can eve
hope 10 attain?
l. It not strange in itself that tn,
solitary wasps, that l.. the species il
which each one builds it, own nest
though they feed entirely on hone,
themselves, know that the young grub
which will come from their eggs nee,
animal food2 For after flying abou
among the flowers ever since they lef
theircOcOOns. these sand-wasps. tOwar,
the end Of July, begin to burrow in tn,
snit sand. and when they have formed
chamber they lay an egg in it an,
provide flies. spiders, gras-hoppers OF
beetles for the young larya which i,
soon to be born.
Some bring the food in piece by piec,
n their child Is ready to feed upon il
The Bembex, or bee-wasp. may be seer
doing this in most parts ~ the world
When she has scOOped out in IN,
SGD the chamber in which her young
GrUb IS to be born and pass its you'll
"a smooth. oval cell. at the end OF
short passagc-she comes out and file,
away.
But she soon returns with n littl,
goldeH-green fly in her grasp. file,
straight To the right spot ia the sand
enters, and, placing the ly on it, bach
within the oval chamber. she lays up
on it~ flank q tiny. sticky egg.
Then Size comes out and again close
the door Of the passage for she know
that in twenty-four hours the gruL
will be Matched and. finding it, food
ready 70 eat. viii devour and devOur
till. in about two days, nothing will be
l"ft of its victim but the dcbris 81 skin
and legs and wings.
Here we have no preserving OF meat.
We must 20 tn another group To find
the skillful meat-prcservers. Here
the Sphcx will serve us. that curious
genus - easily known from common
waSps 10y the thin stalk which Join.
the abdomen 10 the rest Of it, body
There arr large and small sphcxes,
some Of which feed their grubs on
small gras~hopper~, while others at
tack even a -ood-sized locust. but one
and all they are skiilfull practitioners.
and know how - partlyze without
killing. 81 a. To- leave their prey stored
up in fresh state till tho grub need,
it.
This time we mus; not go to loos5
saud-bank~ but 10 a. grI:ellv soil. or
to places wh-r, tufts oi gra bind the
sand together ami make shelter over
the doorway Of the calls. Then. il we
listen carefully. we may hear the busy
hum Of some twelve or twenty Sphex
sand-wasps, each digging ont her
separate home, although they work
together for company.
Il i harder work than that OF the
BembcN. for the ground i close and
firm, but each one with her powerful
jaws digs into the ground, often lifting
ont even small stone and placing il
aside. while. with her forcfeet. she
clears in front throwing out the gravel
with her hind-legs and rcdoubling neI
efforts and her hummiug song. when
ever tougher piece of ground calls
for all her strength
In "a few hours she has made gal
lrry some inches in length and bent
like an elbow near IN. opening To keel
out wind nj rain. while at the farther
end she ha- made an oval chamber
with y,ell-Smouthcd walls and floor and
ceiling.
And now III" goes for her prey. Thi,
time 1t l. glsteshoppcr which i need
c,i fo- the grub. and. a. some unwary
little chirpcr J. singing his song h. is
bounced upon hy his small bat terrible
cr my.
There, Is struggle "a, the two roll
over and over. uo,s an" now the other
uu the ton hut ~ last "a" wasp con.
qurr~ and the gra~~hoppc- lir- upon
his h5cS.
Then follows q cIriou- operation.
Turning her head io the gra>~hopper'
tail the wasp ~ciz,.~ TN. ,nd at hi alb
domcu with h..s mandjbie~ and holds
II fast. white with hcg feet she keeps
hJ> Ic-- down Then b.udiug her slim
waist - - To- bring hcr sting under
her She give three. ~IahS. one in the
neck ~ her victim. ono further back
between the first and second pair al
logs and the third still nearer % his
abdomen.
In a moment IL J. done and thr grass
hoTSrr r,.,i-t- uo more though his
body still ur5ye> slowly ana his lcg-
move vugucly aud fe-hiy. The wasp
then >uooth,.- her rufiled wings. and
prepares 70 carry him away.
Pressing her body against his Sh,
CLASPS him firmly with her legs and
soaring into the air with victim IA,
heavier. than herself flies Strf.ight I,
her chamber Here ~hc iay> him down
outside and runs IN L. So, that no harm
has happened in her absence. for >h,
has left her door open. Then she ~
turns. and putting her head out seize,
him 10y the antvunse and drag> him la.
Once SAFE, In the chamber she places
herself upon him, and lays her sticky
egg upon his thorax where the grut
may safely begin To eat - soon n he j:
h1tchcd Nor J. her work Vet finished
\ second. "a third. and sometimes even
Il fourth time She makes the same jOut>
nev. bringing each time grasshopPe:
stabbed with three blows. ami placin.
them All in the cell closes il up safely.
But >h,. does not leave the gallery
Side by side with this eel. she now b..
Gins another. and only when four chem
hers az, made and supplied each with
an egg and food for the grub whsl
Matched. does she come ont aud clos,
the gallery
Now what has she dones II Will b.
al least. thre, a.. four days before the
first egg will batch. aad ten or twelve
days more before the grab has finishes
eating the three or four grasshOpperS
But long before this. il the grass
hoppers were dead they would hav,