THE HYMENOPTERA.
The Hymenoptera is an order of insects of high rank containing the Bees,Ants, Wasps and Gallflies. Dr. Leland O. Howard, Chief of the Divisionof Entomology in the United States Department of Agriculture, says thatthis order "comprises nearly 30,000 described species; but the enormousnumber of undescribed species, particularly of the smaller parasiticforms inhabiting tropical regions and other out-of-the-way localities,would probably swell this number to more than 300,000. To indicate thework still to be done in this order, it is safe to say that a day'scollecting in Central Park, New York, almost under the windows of thegreat American Museum of Natural History, or in Logan Square,Philadelphia, within 200 yards of the Academy of Natural Sciences, wouldresult in the capture of a number of species new to science." Mostremarkable are the insects of this order for their seeming intelligenceand the wonderful habits and methods in their interesting colony lives.
MODERN BEE-HIVE]
QUEEN BEE]
BEES.
Bees are distinguished from Wasps and Ants by their hairy bodies. Thecommon hive bee is an insect most important to mankind, and bee-keeping,properly conducted, is a profitable occupation. Here is a chance for boyscouts to win money and laurels. In early summer the bees "swarm." Thebee-keeper watches for signs of this and knows that when there is anunusual restlessness among them and the workers become less attentive totheir regular duties, "swarming" may be expected. Suddenly more thanhalf the workers, with the queen of the hive, leave the old home and flyto a new place where they "swarm." A second or third swarm sometimesleave the hive, each with their respective queen. The first, however,is always the most important. When hived they climb to the roof and hangin a mass for often a day. The wax taken from the old hive is kneadedand the foundation of the new honeycomb started. As soon as the workersfinish cells, the queen lays eggs in them. These hatch into maggot-likebaby bees which have to be fed and taken care of. The worker must nowforage for pollen or "beebread" and nectar from flowers. The nectar theycarry in their "honey-bags" and change it into honey. The inside workersfeed the youngsters, build the comb and clean house, even ventilating itby fanning the air with their wings. In the hives in the swarming aredrones who do no work. They are permitted to live and feed on the storesuntil this season is over, then they are relentlessly killed by theworkers. Bees were kept for their product by the Egyptians.
The Honey Bee was imported from Europe and is not a native of thiscountry. The Cuckoo Bees are so called because of their habits of livingin the nests of other bees. They apparently live there in friendlyrelations with the rightful occupants of the hives.
The Carpenter Bees; these insects are so called because of their habitof boring into the stems of plants. They line their cells with silkymembrane and build mud partitions. The larger forms of these bees boreinto tree trunks and lumber, and even the timber of buildings.
Mason Bees build earthen cells of sand, earth, etc., glued together.Another group of these cut pieces from leaves with which to form theircells.
SECTION OF CELLS]
STRAW-HIVE]
The Bumble Bees; Western farm boys have invented a method or robbingbumble bees' nests. They take a gallon or two-gallon jug partly filledwith water and place it near the nest. They then beat the nest andretire to a distance. The bees swarm out of the nest in their attemptto find the guilty disturber. The jug attracts their attention; they flyto it and the beating of their wings over the mouth of the jug causes aroar which attracts the bees and causes them to fly at the mouth anddrop into it. The noise of those inside increases the attraction andfinally all the bees are inside. After all the bees are thus disposed ofthe robbing of the nest is then a safe matter.
WASPS.
The wasps' bodies are less hairy than the bees'. Some of the wasps livesolitary lives and other groups colonize. The former build their nestsin a burrow or attach them to trees. These nests are supplied by themother wasp with animal food. The social wasp includes the paper-makingvarieties and the hornets. The habits of both are similar. The nest isnever used more than one season. In India it is said that there is avariety that builds a nest reaching a length of several feet. Thehornets suspend large, round nests often a foot in diameter from treebranches.
The Mason Wasps build their nests of mud under outhouses, roofs, onrocks and trees. The sting of these insects, especially that of thehornet, is severe, but they do not sting unless disturbed; then theydisplay great anger and will follow the disturber for a long distance.Although they do considerable damage to fruit they are also helpful asdestroyers of insect life.
NEST OF COMMON WASP SEEN FROM BELOW.]
They capture and store in their cells a great variety of insects,spiders, flies and plant-lice. Certain members of this group of insectsburrow into the earth and conceal their nests by inserting a stone overwhich they scrape earth. When the prey is taken the insect is carriedinto the burrow and the entrance to it is again closed. Dr. S. W.Williston, writing of this insect, states that the wasp has beenobserved to "use a stone as a tamping-iron to pack the earth into themouth of the burrow." He feared, he says, to publish this observationbecause he thought he would not be believed. It is also said byobservers of these wasps that each insect seems to have distinctindividuality, for instance, some are careless, some are industrious,some scrupulously painstaking. One entomologist tells of a method usedby a wasp in capturing a certain spider: the wasp would entangle itselfin the spider's web and the latter would dart out from her hiding place;the wasp would then easily disengage herself from the web and follow thespider to its hiding place. The Cicada often becomes prey of the waspand its song suddenly ceases as it is quickly stung into insensibility.If in a struggle the two fall to the ground, the wasp drags the Cicadaup a tree until she reaches a height from which she can fly downward toher storehouse. The colony wasps are the paper-making insects, theirnests being made from woodpulp and woodfiber secured from old fences andunpainted woodwork which they mix with saliva and form into a pulp withwhich they build their nests.
CICADA.]
COLONY NEST OF BLACK ANTS]
FEEDING LARVAE]
CELLS OF BLACK ANTS. ENLARGED.]
ANTS.
The third group in this important order are the ants. They always livein communities and build nests which are especially devoted to thepurpose of raising their young. The young are fed from the mouth ofthe worker ants. A remarkable peculiarity of these insects is theirpractice of making slaves. The large red ant often makes raids on otherants, carrying off their young to their own nests where they are broughtup to perform the work of their masters. They also domesticateplant-lice, which have on that account been nicknamed "Ant-Cows."Instances are related where beetles have been found in ant nests; theyare fed by the ants and in case of migration are carried away by them totheir new home. While some of these guests are tolerated because,perhaps, the ants cannot rid themselves of them and others areparasites, some seem to be of the nature of pets. The black ants buildmountain-like nests, sometimes reaching three feet in height; in thesenests sometimes forty or fifty species of ants have been found.
GALL FLIES.
All the members of this family produce galls. In the spring the insectbreaks the vegetable tissue by means of her sting and deposits the eggs.When hatched the young seem to exercise a peculiar influence on thegrowing tissue, shaping it into a swelling or gall containing a seriesof chambers. Certain of the galls formed on the oak trees were formerlyused in the manufacture of ink and tannin.
ICHNEUMON FLIES.
These flies attack caterpillars especially and lay their eggs in theirbodies. The young, when hatched, feed upon the unfortunate victim.
THE HORN-TAILS.
The wood-eaters or horn-tails are wood-boring insects living in thetrunks of trees and stems of plants. They are called "horn-tails"because of the spine at the end of the body. They lay their eggs inthese borings and the young, when hatched, continue to bore their waythrough the pith.
THE
SAW-FLIES.
The saw-flies saw their way into plant tissue and lay their eggs in theopenings thus made. Many of these flies are very injurious to vegetationbecause of this habit. The currant-worm, rose-slug and pear-slug are allmembers of this family, and farmers are not on friendly terms with theseinsects.