The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-13
The Tarantula and its Foe.

Apropos to a brief reference in the Ledqer
few days ago to the insect reported to be
the deadly enemy of the huge spider called
the tarantula, DR.. Horn, Philadelphia's dis
tinguished entomologist, sends us the fol-
lowing:
"In the not too fertile parts of the region
from Texas to California lives large
spider known to the inhabitants as the
tarantula and to naturalistS as Mygale
Hentzti Its body is two inches or more in
length, clothed with rusty brown hair, the
legs long, and when extended covering an
oval of 4 by inches AS may be imagined
the mygale is not handsome insect, and
while it is looked upon with terror by most
people, no one cares to handle it unless quite
certain it is dead.
''In place of the web which usually forms
the house of spiders, the mygale excavates
a burrow in the loose soil, from which it
wanders in search of its prey, consisting
principally of members of the grasshopper
family or cicades. The jaws are large and
powerful, armed with long, stout faDgs,
with which they can pierce and kill their
prey. One full meal will at times supply
their needs for several wea1s. In fact, dur
ing the moulting period they remain torpid
and take no food.
During its growth the mygale makes an
unknown number of mouths, that is, it sheds
lIS OuUeT COdO Muou has DoCOll1O unCOtAl-
fortably close fitting, in the same manner
as the common crab of our coast. At these
times members lost from the body by acct
dents are partially replaced: if leg is lost
the first moult produces a perfectly formed
but short leg, subsequent mouths increasing
the size of the leg.
"While the mygale is a dread to most
forms of insect life, there is one in
which it in turn stands in mortal terror.
Abundant in the same regions is a large
wasp, with bluish-green body and golden
red wings. The body is about two inches
long, the spread of wings nearly an inch
greater These wasps (PepSis formoSo) fly
uneasily about in search OF food for them
selves until they discover a 'tarantula,
when more definite course OF action is as
sumed. The fight of the wasp is now in
circles around its prey, gradually approach
ing it, the mygale meanwhile, in terror,
showing fight, standing semi-erect on the
two hinder pair of legs. favorable OPP
portunity presenting, the wasp stings the
spider and renews the circle flight, repeat
ing the sting until the spider becomes COM
pletely paralyzed. When the wasp is as
sured Of the helplessness of the spider it
seizes HIM and drags him to a previously
prepared nest The eggs of the wasp are
then deposited and the spider covered up.
The eggs soon hatch, the spider is gradually
eaten, and a new wasp appears to repeat
tho actions of its parent
''By the sting of the wasp the spider is
not killed, simply paralyzed, so that during
the time it is being fed upon it retains vi
tality, furnishing living food to the newly
Matched larvae, which, by curious instinct,
feed first on those parts of the spider not
essential to the maintaining Of the little
vitality remaining.
"Our common mud-wasp, C1tdLybion, has
similar habits. Its nests, made of elastic
mud, are familiar to most people, as they
are found abundantly in sheltered places
about barns and other out-houses These,
when opened, will be found filed with
spiders in the helpless condition already
mentioned, among them larva aud some
partly eaten spiders"