NEST BUILDING OF TRYPOXYLON POLITIFORME ROH

Extract

On Tuesday morning, July 17, 1933 I noticed a Trypoxylon politiforme Roh. starting to build its nest against the side of a vertical cement pillar in our basement, by Friday night, July 20, 1933 the first row of cells was completed.

This wasp builds a mud cell about one inch long and somewhat larger in diameter than a lead pencil. It provisions this cell with paralyzed spiders, then it closes the cell leaving about one-fourth inch of the cell projecting. It then extends the cell for another inch, and fills the second compartment or cell with paralyzed spiders, closing this second cell off with another mud partition. The first row of cells were slightly more than seven inches long, and contained seven cells. The second row of cells was started on Saturday morning, July 21, these being built along the side of the first row. I noticed two wasps bringing in mud. I dropped some white Duco paint upon one of the wasps, which later I found to be a male.