The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-11
MOUNTAIN INSECT LIFE.
TARANTULA HAWKS AND FIERCE
ANT LIONS.
Evergreen Forests of beautiful
Mount shasta.

Observations of Insect Life in the
Evergreen Forests of beautiful
Mount shasta.
From the san Francisco Call.
Sauntering through the woods and
meadows. or along the creek and river
banks while on summers outing, even
those most indifferent to entomology as
a science can hardly fail to evince a lively
interest in the various forms of insect life
which constantly comes under their
notice.
The following observations were made
in the evergreen forests of beautiful
Mount Shasta. region offering many at
fractions TO students in all branches of
biology. During period of nine weeks
there We're collected over eighty fine speci-
mems of all sorts and sizes of insects,
from the lovely silkworm moth (as large
as a small bird and with wings of vel
vety dove color, marked with bands and
circles of rose-pink gold and PURPLE to
the humble pine weevil and the ignomini-
Gus wOOdtick.
Thousands of bees, wasps, dragon flies
and butterflies are found on the desolate
glaciers where they We're probably blown
by windstorms. from the beds of dwarf
plants on which they were feeding near
the snow line.
When the sun melts the icy surface in
the springtime; they are sal to float down
the mountain side with the streaming
waters, till they reach the rivers. where
they are snapped up by fish to the exelu-
sion of other diet, especially the bait of
the fisherman.
The remarkable pitcher plants, which
grow in thick patches in Doggy places on
the hllsides, are responsible for the dis
appearance of myriads of all kinds of
flying or creeping objects, not only bugs,
beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps, ants,
crickets, grasshOppers and spiders, but
also slugs, snails and caterpillars.
1t is asserted by reliable authority that
a whole hive of bees were found partially
digested in the hollow, snake-like leaves
of some of the carnivorous plants, when
their owner, who had vainly sought them,
went out in the meadow to cut the grain.
The writer discovered a good-sized beetle
of purest gold color in one of these living
pitchers, but the work of destruction had
progressed SO far that it fell to pieces
when handled
The spider is not a genuine insect, be-
longing to a separate order, but it is pop
ularly classed in the general category. The
trap-door spider. inhabiting open sandy
places on the edge of the plains, much re-
sembles the tarantula III size and habits.
though its bite is not supposed to be dead
ly. 1t tunnels itself a cylindrical nest in
the bank, lining it with swinging circu-
lar door attached by strong hinge on the
highest side. As an extra precaution, how
ever, this lid is fashioned with two small
holes. in which the occupant inserts his
powerful pinchers when danger threatens
the family.
Like other spiders, it preys upon flies
and similar insects, and is often killed IN
its turn by the fiery "tarantula hawk Ga
large wasp of brilliant golden rcd, whicn
buzzing noisily about in the sunshine, no
sooner spies his victim than it begins u
fierce attack. A fight between them en-
sues, the wasp endeavoring to sting from
a position in the rear, the spider grap-
pling wildly with its fangs. But being
very agile and light of wing the aggres-
sor usually comes off the victor; and. hav-
ing dragged it's lifeless OPPONENT to a
hole in the ground, it deposits an egg in
its back, buries it and flies off in search
of more game. In the course of time this
egg matches out into a small grub which
feeds upon the spiders flesh until it makes
its change and enters upon its winged ex-
istence.
dragon fly, or devils darling needle"
which fits zig-zag fashion along the water
courses, devouring hundreds of gnats and
mosquitoeJ, aided in it's pursuit by its
large compound eyes and ever-gaping
mouth. Its life history reads like a fair
ly tale, In its primary stages it lives for
nearly year in the mud along the banks
and somewhat resembles a wingless crick-
ct. Like the perfect insect il IS exceed
ingly voracious and bloodthirsty. What
may be described as the lower lip is ca
pable of being protruded to the distance
of nearly an inch, and is provided at the
extremity with a pair of forceps, which
ali Al
victim almost an impossbility. When not
in use this instrument is folded up flat
like a carpenters foot-rule.
On approaching the final stage it erawls
up the stem of some aquatic plant, splits
the skin down it's back, crawls gradually
out Of 1t upon the branch, stretches itself.
unfolds its gorgeous wings and presently
launches forth into the sunshine the type
of a spirit freed from earthly bondage
OF equal interest are the habits of the
caddis fly. Every fisherman knows the Gu
rious little worms Astounding on the rocks
in mid-stream, dragging their queer little
houses after them, like the hermit crab
of the sea coast. These dwellings are in
tended to protect it, but such is the greed
of their finny foes that they are often
swallowed at a gulp, house and all. The
horny head and the six short legs, which
are exposed to view when the worm is in
motion are also often nipped off by hum
cry tadpoles. Their tubular cases are mar
wells of neatness and ingenuity, and are
composed of every available material. such
as tiny pebbles, chips of bark and min
erals, small sticks, straws and fir-needles.
hollow grasses or twigs, and even the loos-
ened operculum of pond snail or bright
wing case of a beetle. These bits are ce-
mented together with a gum of their own
manufacture, and the entrance is often
surrounded with circular or horseshoe
shaped design of tiny white pebbles
-.
a strong silk grating over the opening and
emerge in due time airy-winged flies, much
priced as bait by anglers, who designate
them by the general name of trout fiies.p
The complete transformation of the ant
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