. Handbook of nature-study for teachers and parents, based on the Cornell nature-study leaflets. Nature study. Insect Study 429 THE MUD-DAUBER Teacher's Story THISlittle cement worker is a nervous and fidgety creature, jerking her wings constantly as she walks around in the sunshine; but perhaps this is not nervousness, but rather to show off the rainbow iridescence of her black wings; surely such a slim-waisted being as she, has a right to be vain. No tig'ht lacing ever brought about ' ~ such a long, slim waist as hers; it is a mere pedicel and the abdomen is a mere knob at the end of it. The
. Handbook of nature-study for teachers and parents, based on the Cornell nature-study leaflets. Nature study. Insect Study 429 THE MUD-DAUBER Teacher's Story THISlittle cement worker is a nervous and fidgety creature, jerking her wings constantly as she walks around in the sunshine; but perhaps this is not nervousness, but rather to show off the rainbow iridescence of her black wings; surely such a slim-waisted being as she, has a right to be vain. No tig'ht lacing ever brought about ' ~ such a long, slim waist as hers; it is a mere pedicel and the abdomen is a mere knob at the end of it. The latter seen from the outside, would seem of little use as an abdomen; but if we watch the insect flying, we can see plainly that it is used to steer with. In early summer, we find this black wasp at her trade as a mason. She seeks the edges of pools or puddles where she works industriously, leaving many little holes whence she takes mud to mix with the saliva, which she secretes from her mouth to make firm her cement. This cement she plasters on the under side of some roof or rafter or other pro- tected place, going back and forth until she has built a suitable founda- tion. She works methodically, making a tube about an inch long, smooth inside but rough outside, the walls about one-eighth of an inch thick. She does all of the plastering with her jaws, which she uses as a trowel. When the tube is completed except that the end is left open, she starts off in quest of spiders, and very earnestly does she seek them. I have seen her hunt every nook and comer of a piazza for this prey. When she finds a spider, she pounces upon it and stings it until it is helpless, and carries it to her cement tube, which is indeed a spider sarcophagus, and thrusts it within. She brings more spiders until her tube is nearly full; she then lays an egg within it and then makes more cement and neatly closes the door of the tube. She then places another tube by the side of this, which she provisions a
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