Telegram-herald., 1889-06-01
THE MEXICAN WASP.
Asssai<Afnz Ai.ss.tiSAs C01esFziag Ia
Hseats-dss ~ Attacks .sd Paxa1J4ss
ths L xiy >Pdsrs-Er.ets of fts
srizs . Greassf.


.~fhs cResrfgi Aexicaa rasp isas solely
. Mexican grcaaet,n sad New Yerger
sn0 nss tr4se.cd sit ainself u S4E re-
porter - ou'A ind tai rsla4rkaole n
set saereser there are taraEtslzs, Tor L
sfeHis 70 owe tns Perpst1ati0a cf rs kiRd
= tie presence ef that klng II sPIdeEs-
IA i-ct, = ls Known - TIE aaI4s q 't2rs1-
t.lA zii1er' IN Teas &aG other p4rts " here
TIE oiK spider has rs habitat
II nles 4p lsislfely Is red1lsh-crosn
wings spread - Their full three saca
s"eeP, aad contrasting striziBgly with is
dead o'4ck iegs aud BODY TIE aiding u
the tar2ntala IN MS den does Let woFry the
~2sp otL IL iiSAts a. TIC trap door and
Las II opea AZ 44Ickly as tne Lar4lrui4 eza
oPea y aimseif, anf valxs straignrway 10.
The nig hairy, deadly SPIDER has nc terriers
Tor the wasp. Tue quality q the wasps
sllnS - shown IA a staTtliaZ wa oy its
eject on the tsrantula, for. Ia ave seconds
after the killer has catered tae spiders
den. The taEantuia has saccum bed 10 the
thrasts OF the sting. and = dragged out b.
TIE wasp as butcher would drag a dead
pis oQL Of the pen
But the strange part Of the quicx knock
Ing cut Of the spider by the wasp IS That
pleasures OF life again. ne is not dead The
poison the wasp meets into the taFantula
does not xii MIN, but throws him into =
trace from ~nfcn nc will never awaken.
The taraatQla Is actually enealned alive,
.nd II The subsequent processes tbe wasp
has Ia store for him prove aDortive ia their
~or<iaz, "a they sometimes do The taran-
tula ~ VI romain in that dead aud alive con-
dILlon ever afterNard
sometimes lt happens 20 suit the taran-
tula Killer, when 10 does up the SPIDER in the
latter den, 10 leave him there 10 carry out
tue rest OF the programme, out usually II
drazs The tarantula 10 some other part OF
the country, frequently = mile distant, al
though the spider Is many times the wasps
bulk and weight When the big wasp mas
dragged the spider 90 tie spot IL has Sc
lected, il puncturcs is victim body al the
base OF enc Of as hind legs, aud lays On egg
deep la the opening. The wasp then digs
hole In the gr0und and burIes the taran-
tula Sometimes II hides the spider in
cleft ia the rocks, and plasters the opening
shut with mud When the egg IS hatchod
inside the spider the result Is a most vora-
clOus grub, which at once begins TO eat It's
way out Of its store house. IL - as II the
SPIDER had been kept on ice. nice and fresh
IA all its fesh and juices. The wasp's
greedy larva devOurs every thing 10 the
right and left OF u, and al that IS ahead Of
IL, and when IL emerges from the taran-
tula's head there is nothing left Of the
spider but its hideons hairy shell. The
grub digs itself out of the spiders grave,
and in time becomes itself a tarantula-
killer. and does the same act for future
supply OF wasps that was done for 10.
Once In a great while the wasp's egg
will not hatch, but that doesn't change the
condition OF tho tarantula- saw taran-
tula in Texas that was found in u mud
plastered crack in q rock five years ago. A
wasp had deposited its egg in the SPIDERS
body, but IL lad been aoortive. 1t IL not
known how long the tarantu!a had lain in
It's trance when IL was discovered, but when
i saw IL there were no more signs Of death or
decay about IL than there are about sleep
ing dog or cat. f. was fun and plump, its
legs timber aud flexible and It's eyes bright.
Al the elements Of life were present, ap-
parertlv, and yet the spider was as prac-
tcally dead as the proverbial door-nail.
The tourist who described the Mexican
wasp said II was pugnscious, and always
looking for achsnce 20 assume the offensive.
think he is wrong about that, for
IL the nature of this wasp was
such there would be no living in
the regions where IL makes its home. As
far as l could learn and observe in southern
Texas, the wasp ; temper Is good, and it
never shows any inclination to resent the
presencs OF a man except when II has an
embalmed tarantula IN tow. Then IL will
show - displeasure if it is approached too
closely. and will make frantic dashes az any
Intruder, opening its red wings rs Il ex-
hibits its signs OF anger, as IL IS a warning
These wasps have desperate and deadly
fights amOng themselves during the season
they are paraiyzing tarartuias and deposit
inEtheir eggs in them. II a wasp that has
not succeeded in capturing q tarantula
happens 20 strike the trail OF another wasp
who has secured victim, the unsuccessful
wasp viii follow the trail like a hound on n
deer track The uncncumbercd wasp viii
soon overtaSe the one dragging its burden
Of spider. and a i-ht for possession Of the
tarautuIa a. once cusues. Sometimes both
wasps viii De killed In the battle. and it
sometimes happens that n third wasp,
which has also followed the trail. will come
Cd and walk OF with the tarantuia, while
the others are lighting for IL. II the original
csptor OF the tarantula has deposited its
egg ard buried ia victim before a wasp
who may follow the trail arrives on tho
scene. the latter az once proceeds to drag
the spider out of is grave. This done, the
robber wasp deposits her egg also and
gives the spider new interment An old
Texan told ne that he saw tarantula dug
up and buried BY four different wasps in
the course Of one afternoon But usually
tarantulss are numerous enough % supply
the wasps with their own victims
These tarautuia killers live on elder
flowers. the bloom - the wild Virginia
crseper. and sim ar flowers. I couu. ed
ous hundred ~ the tremendous Insects On
ore cIuup Of elder flowers one day. and
YOU nav always b sure of seeing them in
srv % the Southern regions where elder
or Virginia creeper abound The tarantuIa
Killer IL q good two inches ard haif lonE.
snd he IS "a hand some AZ he q terrible.
Borrowing from Public Men.
The men wt0 borrow money from per-
sous In public iife without sn7 intention II
psvfn = II hack a fr-ior. I was crce talk