. Agricultural news. Agriculture -- West Indies; Plant diseases -- West Indies. 394 THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. Decembkr IT), we ascribe the eagerness of the solitary wasp to impulse or instinct, and we exterminate their numerous species from the face of the earth for ever, without even seeking to make a prior acquaintance with them. Meanwhile our economists and moralists devote their volumes to admiration of the progress of the civilization that effects this destruction and tolerates this negligence.' INSECT NOTES. Digger Wasps. During a recent visit to Nevis, the Entomolojrist on the statt
. Agricultural news. Agriculture -- West Indies; Plant diseases -- West Indies. 394 THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. Decembkr IT), we ascribe the eagerness of the solitary wasp to impulse or instinct, and we exterminate their numerous species from the face of the earth for ever, without even seeking to make a prior acquaintance with them. Meanwhile our economists and moralists devote their volumes to admiration of the progress of the civilization that effects this destruction and tolerates this negligence.' INSECT NOTES. Digger Wasps. During a recent visit to Nevis, the Entomolojrist on the statt'ofthe Imperial Department of Agriculture observed two species of digger wasps visiting the flowers of an acacia tree. While at Richmond Lodge estate Mr. Rallou's attention was attracted by the sight of hundreds of wasps of two species of the family FoinpUUIae visiting the flowers of an acacia tree growing in the estate yard. It is not unusual for these insects to visit flowers, but he had not seen them before in large numbers about a single tree, as in this instance. The Pompiliihu are a family of the digger wasps or Fossores, the various West Indian species being known as fever bees, probably on account of the very painful sting of the females, which is said to produce fever. They are solitary wasps, that , each female builds her nest by herself, lays her eggs and stores the nest-cells with food for her young. The two species under discussion belong to the group which make their nests in burrows in the ground, and store them with spiders. The spiders are stung in such a way as to be paralyzed, but not killed ; consequently, although they cannot move, the young wasp grubs find fresh live food in the nest. The two insects found about the acacia tree in Nevis are large, spreading about 2 inches across the wings. The legs are very long and fitted for running on the ground. One of them has a dark, velvety, bluish body, reddish wings, and dark antennae, while the other
Size: 2979px × 839px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorgreatbritainimperiald, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
