Half hours with insects . eydisplay in some cases great ingenuity in providing appropri-ate places in which to lay their eggs. I have often watchedthe doings of the Attelahus rhois (Fig. 238 represents an-other species, A. analis) while rolling up the leaves of thealder. Late in June and during the early part of July in 18 Packard.] INSECTS AS ARCHITECTS. 307 Maine I observed the female while engaged in making oneof these singular thimble-like rolls. NV^hen about to depositan egg, she picks up a leaf with her mandibles, and beginsto cut with her jaws a slit near the base of the leaf oneach sid
Half hours with insects . eydisplay in some cases great ingenuity in providing appropri-ate places in which to lay their eggs. I have often watchedthe doings of the Attelahus rhois (Fig. 238 represents an-other species, A. analis) while rolling up the leaves of thealder. Late in June and during the early part of July in 18 Packard.] INSECTS AS ARCHITECTS. 307 Maine I observed the female while engaged in making oneof these singular thimble-like rolls. NV^hen about to depositan egg, she picks up a leaf with her mandibles, and beginsto cut with her jaws a slit near the base of the leaf oneach side of the midrib, and at light angles to it, so that theleaf may be folded together. Before beginning to roll upthe leaf she gnaws the stem nearly off, so that after the rollis made, and has dried for perhaps a day it is easily de-tached by the wind and falls to the ground. Then foldingthe leaf, she tightly rolls it up with her jaws and legs, neatlytucking ill the ends, until a compact cylindrical solid mass Fig. 217. Cocks-comb gall. Attelabns. is formed. Before the roll is completed she deposits a singleegg, rarel} two, in the middle, next to the midrib, where itlies loose in a little cavity. While she is thus engaged, herpartner, a little smaller, may often be seen watching herfrom the otlier end of the leaf, but never lending his aid, asin the case of the timber beetles. The roll serves as a massof food for the young grub to feed upon, and may be ie-garded as an artificial bud. The larvfE of the Tiger beetles have the requisite instinctto make deep tubular pits in which they lie in wait for their 19 308 HALF HOUKS WITH INSECTS. [Packard. prey. The construction of their nests does not require somuch intelligence as is shown by the ant lion. The larvais a hideous being, with a large horn on its back, by whichit is enabled to prop itself up in its hole. None of the flies are architects. Some involuntarily formgalls of various shapes, in which the maggots are
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1881
