Guide to the study of insects, and a treatise on those injurious and beneficial to crops: for the use of colleges, farm-schools, and agriculturists . 172 HYMENOPTERA. above, than in the other genera; the front of the head is abouta third longer than broad. The antennae are long and fili-form and sometimes crenulate, as in Figure 91 o, in the[\ males ; the mandibles are stout, broad, sabre-shaped,being much curved, with low flattened teeth, and themaxillary palpi are longer than the labial palpi. Thewino-s are rather broad, with the three subcostal cellsIvino- in a straight row. The abdomen is
Guide to the study of insects, and a treatise on those injurious and beneficial to crops: for the use of colleges, farm-schools, and agriculturists . 172 HYMENOPTERA. above, than in the other genera; the front of the head is abouta third longer than broad. The antennae are long and fili-form and sometimes crenulate, as in Figure 91 o, in the[\ males ; the mandibles are stout, broad, sabre-shaped,being much curved, with low flattened teeth, and themaxillary palpi are longer than the labial palpi. Thewino-s are rather broad, with the three subcostal cellsIvino- in a straight row. The abdomen is slightly com- •J & pressed, and equals in length the remainder of thebody. The sting is very large and formidable, and ex-cessively painful, benumbing the parts it enters. They Fijr !l1 a- are exceedingly active, running and flying over sandy places like winged spiders. There are about five hundred species of this genus described. They are usually shining black or deep bluish black, with. Fig. 92. smoky or reddish wings, and sometimes a reddish abdominalband. This genus is interesting, as affording in its form amean between the globular thorax and short body of theApt ((riff and the elongated body of the Iclineumonidtv. The Pompilus formosus Say (Fig. 92), called in Texas theTarantula-killer, attacks that immense spider the Mygale Hentzii,and. according to Dr. (1. Lincecum (American Naturalist, May, POMPILID^E. 17;; 1867), paralyzes it with its formidable sting, and inserting anegg in its body, places it in its nest, dug to the depth of five inches. There is but a single brood,produced in June, which is killed off bythe frosts of November. This speciesfeeds in summer upon the honey andpollen of the flowers of the Elder, andof Vitfs ampelopsis, the Virginia Creeper ;but its favorite nourishment is taken fromthe blossoms of Asdepias quadr!folium
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookpublishe, booksubjectinsects
