Marvels of insect life ; a popular account of structure and habit . in triitli (|iiitf twice the weight oi thedigger, ilie olnious w;i\- of dealing with a capture that has this advantage o\erthe captor is for the latter to divide the booty and take it away j)iecemeal. Uutthe digger wants its \ictim whole and still ali\-e, tliough paralyzed and helpless. To hunt for cicadas is not a matter of great difiiculty, for the males so per-sistentK and loiidh- ad\ertise their pres(>nt situation that they cannot well beoverlooked. The digger-wasp has onl\- to ll\ to the trees from which the dolefulcho
Marvels of insect life ; a popular account of structure and habit . in triitli (|iiitf twice the weight oi thedigger, ilie olnious w;i\- of dealing with a capture that has this advantage o\erthe captor is for the latter to divide the booty and take it away j)iecemeal. Uutthe digger wants its \ictim whole and still ali\-e, tliough paralyzed and helpless. To hunt for cicadas is not a matter of great difiiculty, for the males so per-sistentK and loiidh- ad\ertise their pres(>nt situation that they cannot well beoverlooked. The digger-wasp has onl\- to ll\ to the trees from which the dolefulchorus of cicada notes is swelling, and pick out the lyreman that appears to bemost suitable. But among the branches it is impossible to get a start in flightwith so heav\- a load. A weight, however, mav be dragged or hauled when it cannotbe (juried ; and the digger ha\ing stung its victim to ensure (juiescence startshauling it up the tree until it arri\es at a clear space at sufficient height to enable Diastrinmui niarniorata. - Sphccius spcciosus. Cicada 156 Marvels of Insect Life* it to make a long sloping flight to its mine shaft. It will spend more than an hour,if necessary, in the task of hauling its load to a favourable position for flying off. Riley found that in some of the cells there are two cicadas entombed with thediggers egg, and in other cells only one ; and he supposes that one cicada sufficesto nourish a digger-grub that is to develop into a male, and that two are requiredfor the development of a female. Upon one of these an elongate w^hite egg is laid,and this hatches in two or three days. The grub is broad at the hinder end andtapers to a point forw^ards. The slender head is thrust bctw^een the joints of thecicadas body, w^hose substance is thus entirely absorbed. In little more thana week only the skin is left, and by that time the wasp-grub is full grown. It nowspends a couple of days in constructing a cocoon of mingled silk and earth, inwhich a numb
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecta, booksubjectinsects
