Mellinus arvensis

Page 1

LIST FROM COLLECTION OF C. MORLEY

121

Genus: DITRICHA. Sp. : *D. luttularis, Mg.—Breck, lOth August, 1928 ; 18th Sept., 1915, Tuddenham; 9th, lOth August, 1928, Mildenhall; 26th August, 1906, 9th August, 1928, Eriswell, Breck ; 26th June, 1918, Brandon ; 26th July, 1934, Andover, Hants ; 5th July, 1933, Polden Hill, Somerset; 23rd June, 1934, N. Forest. (23 genera, 51 species, 34 in Suffolk). ALASDAIR ASTON,

2nd June, 1953.

FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE AND HABITS OF THE FIELD DIGGER WASP. Mellinus arvensis, Linn. I did not observe so many variously colour-marked males and females this year, 1952. Mostly they were true to form, but they were much more varied in size. Here are some measurements : Males, 8-mm., 10-mm., 11-mm., 12-mm. Females, 15-mm., 11-mm., 9-mm. The normal or average male and female measure 9-mm. and 12-mm. respectively. The lives of males were of shorter duration this year, lasting from the 5th August until the 27th August. None were observed after this date. On three occasions this year, 1952, I found females feeding upon the heads of their paralysed prey, and so engrossed were they in this orgy, I was able to pick them up and hold them in the palm of my hand, separating them only by force. This probably accounts for other flies found abandoned outside nest holes minus their heads, but this does not account for those found minus their proboscides. See Transactions S.N.S., 1951, vol. VIII part III, page 102. The common wasp, Vespa vulgaris, L., on occasions during August visited the nest site with the sole purpose of collecting these abandoned flies, which they did, biting off their wings and bearing them away.


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