. The American entomologist. Entomology. 130 THE AMEEICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. colored genus to which both insects belong (Stizus), but three species have hitherto been discovered in North America. "We give in the Apiaendix a description of a fourth species of tliis same genus, the " Short-winged Digger Wasp" {Stizus brevipennis, u. sp.), of which but a single specimen exists in the cabinet of the Senior Editor, and none at all, so far as is known, in any other collection of insects. The holes or nests dug in the earth by Digger Was^js are, for the most part—especially in loose, sandy
. The American entomologist. Entomology. 130 THE AMEEICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. colored genus to which both insects belong (Stizus), but three species have hitherto been discovered in North America. "We give in the Apiaendix a description of a fourth species of tliis same genus, the " Short-winged Digger Wasp" {Stizus brevipennis, u. sp.), of which but a single specimen exists in the cabinet of the Senior Editor, and none at all, so far as is known, in any other collection of insects. The holes or nests dug in the earth by Digger Was^js are, for the most part—especially in loose, sandy soils—dug in the same manner as Mr. Smith's Blue Wasp effaced all traces of its nest, namely, by scratching with their front legs, and scrabbling tlie loose dirt backward with their four hind legs, the motions being performed with the rapidity of lightning But, as we saw above in the case of Dr. Packard's and Mr. Holcomb's wasps, certain species occa- sionally use their jaws in digging, and more especially, perhaps, when the soil is hard and solid; but, as a rule, they dig with their front legs, and not with their jaws, and scrabble the loosened dirt backward Avith their liind legs. Hence, we can see at once, why most species of Digger Wasps, and more particularly the females, which have the actual work to do, have their legs garnished plentifull}'—as has been already stated, and as will be seen at once in the wasps that are figured above—with long, stiff bristles, or slender thorns. On the other hand, the True Wasps, which, when they dig at all, dig with their powerful jaws, and not with their legs, have perfectly smootli legs, as may be seen from the species figured below (Figures 110, 111, 112). A European Dig- ger Wasp, however, {Ammophila sabulosa)— belonging to the same genus as our Painted- wiug Digger Wasp, (Fig. 100), which as we saw, digs with its jaws and not with its legs— although it has very bristly legs, is recorded as using the long, sickle-shaped ja
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