Wasps, Social and SolitaryPeckham, George W. (George Williams)
Science
Wasps, Social and Solitary
Peckham, George W. (George Williams)
Wasps
The point in which our observations differ most widely from those of
Fabre is in the condition of the caterpillars after the stinging.
He seems to have found that they always lived a long time, but in a
motionless or nearly motionless state; and he dwells at length upon the
necessity of both of these conditions, since he believes that while the
wasp larva must have perfectly fresh food, any violent motion would
imperil its safety. As a matter of fact we found a wide variation in
the thoroughness with which the wasps performed their task. We had, in
all, fifteen caterpillars upon which urnaria had worked her will; and
while a few of them fulfilled to a nicety the conditions which Fabre
believes to be imperative, most of them were far from doing so. Some
of them lived only three days, others a little longer, while still
others showed signs of life at the end of two weeks. Urnaria stores
two caterpillars, and in more than one instance the second one died
and became discolored before the first one was entirely eaten. The
wasp larva did not, as might have been expected, find fault with this
arrangement, but proceeded to attack number two with good appetite, ate
it all up, and then spun its cocoon as though nothing unpleasant had
occurred.
The second condition was also violated. In one case the bite of the
newly hatched larva caused the caterpillar to rear upon end in so
violent a manner that it looked as though the little creature would
surely be dislodged. Another caterpillar kept up a continuous wriggling
without any external stimulation, and when it was touched it rolled
about almost as these larvæ do in a healthy state, and yet the egg was
not shaken off. The caterpillar which received but a single sting,
although not motionless, would have been a safer repository for the egg
than either of these. Others fulfilled Fabre’s condition perfectly,
lying immovable except when stimulated, and then responding only by a
slight quivering of the legs or skin.
Among the fifteen caterpillars that we have taken from the nests of
urnaria three kinds are represented, twelve of them belonging to one
species, two to the second, and one to the third.
The egg, which is laid upon the side of the sixth or seventh segment,
hatches in from two to three days; the larva spends from six days to
two weeks in eating, and then spins its pale yellowish cocoon.
[Illustration: NEST OF AMMOPHILA]
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