File:Abispa splendida.jpg

Identifier: insectsabroadbei00wooduoft Title: Insects abroad : being a popular account of foreign insects, their structure, habits, and transformations Year: 1883 (1880s) Authors: Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889 Subjects: Insects Publisher: London : Longmans, Green

View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book

Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image: rance before the cell is closed over. The cover-ing, though thin, is very tough, so tough that I doubt the powerof a parasite to pierce it. In the figure it will be observed thatsix cells have been built one on another, only one being affixedto the door. This one was attached to a smoothly planesurface of Sal wood (Shorcarobusta), so that the cementing gummust have possessed great strength to allow me to cut it outwith a hammer and chisel, as before alluded to. These insects build on roof-beams, so that their nests gene-rally escape notice; besides which they are far from commomThey are externally of a rich brown colour, glistening withgum. In the plate, the nests t this species are seen just above theinsoct. SOCIAL WASPS. 487 The very fine insect which is here represented belongs toAustralia. The colour of the species is principally blaclc, and ofa beautiful velvet-like richness. The rest of the insect is brightyellow, also soft and velvety, and the arrangement of the colours

Text Appearing After Image: Kig. 201.—Abispa splendida.(Velvety black and yellow.) can easily be seen by reference to the illustration, the darkportions being black, and the light portions yellow. The genusto which this insect belongs is an offshoot of the great genusOdynerus, and shares in the habits of its relatives. The Wasps which have hitherto been described are of thesolitary kind, and there are, in consequence, no neuters. Wenow come to those Wasps which construct more than one cell,and, when the number is considerable, the greater part of thearchitecture is performed by neuters. Our common Wasp orHornet affords a perfect example of the Social Wasps. InEngland we have but few examples of the Social Wasps, andtheir nests are of three kinds, i.e., pensile, such as that of theTree Wasp ; subterranean, like that of the common Wasp; ormade under shelter of some kind, such as that of the Hornet.Abroad, however, there is a vast variety of Social Wasps, andthe modes in which they form their nests are wonderfull

Note About Images