The queen-bee greatly resembles the worker, but has the hind body more elongated; she can, however, always be distinguished from the worker by the absence of the beautiful transverse, comb-like series of hairs on the inner side of the first joint of the hind foot, the planta, as it is called by the bee-keeper: she has also no wax plates and differs in important anatomical peculiarities. The male bee or drone is very different, being of much broader, more robust build, and with very large eyes that quite meet in the middle of the upper part of the head: he also has the hind leg differently shaped. The form of this limb enables the male of A. mellifica to be distinguished from the corresponding sex of allied species of the genus.

Fig. 25.—Portions of hind-feet, 1, of male, 2, of worker, 3, of queen, of the honey-bee; series on the left, outer faces; on the right, inner faces. a, Tip of tibia: b, first joint; c, second joint of tarsus.

We are indebted to Horne for some particulars as to the habits of A. dorsata, an allied East Indian species. He informs us that these bees greatly disfigure buildings, such as the Taj Mahal at Agra, by attaching their pendent combs to the marble arches, and are so pertinacious that it is almost useless to destroy the nests. This bee is said to be so savage in its disposition that it cannot be domesticated; it attacks the sparingly clad Hindoos with great ferocity when they disturb its nest. Notwithstanding its inclination and power to defend its societies this Insect appears to be destroyed wholesale. Colonel Ramsay failed to establish hives of it, because the Insects were eaten up by lizards. The crested honey-buzzard carries off large portions of the comb, and devours it on a branch of some tree near by, quite regardless of the stings of the bees; while the fondness of bears for the honey of the "Dingar," as this species is called, is well known.

Note to P. [33]: It has just been discovered that a most remarkable symbiosis, with structural modification of the bee, exists between the females of Xylocopa, of the Oriental sub-genus Koptorthosoma, and certain Acarids. A special chamber, with a small orifice for entry, exists in the abdomen of the bee, and in this the Acari are lodged.—See Perkins, Ent. Mag. xxxv. 1899, p. 37.

Note to P. [80]: referring to the habits of social wasps in warm countries. The anticipation we ventured to indulge in is shown to be correct by the recent observations of Von Ihering.[[39]] He states that social wasps in Brazil may be divided into two great groups by their habits, viz. 1. Summer communities, lasting for one year, and founded annually by fertilised females that have hibernated—example, Polistes; 2. Perennial communities, founded by swarms after the fashion of bee colonies—examples, Polybia, Chartergus.

Note to Vol. V. Pp. 545, 546: The development of Encyrtus fuscicollis has now been studied by Marchal, who has discovered the existence of embryonic dissociation. The chain of embryos and the epithelial tube in which they are placed, are formed as follows: the Encyrtus deposits an egg in the interior of the egg of the Hyponomeuta. This does not kill the egg of the Lepidopteron, but becomes included in the resulting caterpillar. The amnion of the Chalcid egg lengthens, and forms the epithelial tube; while the cells within it become dissociated in such a way as to give rise to a chain of embryos, instead of a single embryo.—C.R. Ac. Paris, cxxvi. 1898, p. 662, and translation in Ann. Nat. Hist. (7), ii. 1898, p. 28.

CHAPTER II

HYMENOPTERA ACULEATA CONTINUED—DIVISION II. DIPLOPTERA OR WASPS—EUMENIDAE, SOLITARY TRUE WASPS—VESPIDAE, SOCIAL WASPS—MASARIDAE

Division II. Diploptera—Wasps.