Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 52. (Budapest 1960)

Móczár, L.: The loess wall of Tihany and the nesting of Odynerus spiricornis Spin. (Hymenoptera, Eumenidae)

indicate (in identical positions) the external circumference, that is, the horizontal section of the turret, while the smaller circles represent the mud pills constituting the turret itself. All turret sections refer to a construction-phase, for the period of activity of the wasp after its water-carrying absence. Within the small circles, I give the order of sequence (serial number) of the pills — carried onto the top of the turret — in the numerator. The first value in the denominator indicates in seconds the time used up by the wasp to dig out the pill (this period includes the scurrying of the wasp into the burrow as well as the carrying-out of the pill); the second value designates the time required to paste the pill onto the rim of the turret. An arrow indicates surplus material thrown-out during the construction. The smaller circles situated within the large circle refer to pills pasted on the wall of the burrow or on the inner sides of the turret. The first datum below the large circles refer to the point of time when the wasp flew away for water, the second shows in seconds the time spent in water-carrying. The sum of the two is therefore the time of he excavation of the first pill, that is, the commencement of the wall-wetting subsequently to the disappearance of the wasp in the burrow. It was impossible to observe the wasp during its work when already deep in the wall ; the end or its abdomen appeared but occasionally in the entrance of the turret. Dates referring to occasions like these are denoted by „?" or by „..." Fig. 2. Construction phases of the turret of Odynerus Nr. 3., at 11 : 33 and 11 : 38. Wasp Nr. 3. flew away for water on 22 July at the following points of time : 11 : 33'10", 35', 45', 54', 58', 12 : 3', 13 : 01, 9', 14', 19', 24', 32', 37', 43', 48', 53'. Of these, I have not figured the building phase of 11 : 45, and those after 13 : 53. Subsequent to its deparature at 11 : 45, it returned from the direction of the Balaton after 2'35". Then it worked in the burrow for 2',40", appearing with a large mud pill, and throwing it away about 4 m from the turret, it flew away. It came back in 45". After a stay of one minute in the nest, it flew away again at 11 : 54 (Construction phases 3. — 4. of fig. 2). When it left at 12 : 03, it returned only at 12 : 53 ; in the meantime the sky became overcast. The turret was already 20 mm long, the burrow 45 mm (Fig. 3, section 1.). After its deparature at 13 : 53, it returned after 1'5", spending 18" in its nest. It placed only 2 pills jn the elbow of the turret and then flew away at 13 : 58, but it returned only at '

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u together with the turret was 62 mm, the length of the turret (on its external side. jj'

e

j

ncr 26 mm. It fl

ew away again ,,empty-handed" toward the Balaton, appearing after 55" aoanl

° it was worki

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8 insi

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e the nest for almost 4 minutes, flying away again at 15 : 20. On this occasion, it retu™

ed in 56". It carried out its single mud pill after 1'15", pasting it in 5" on the highest point °f the turret. Then it retired into the turret, departing after 3'5" at 15 • 26. It returned in 1'6", an

d worked in the burrow. At 15 : 29, it flew away suddenly, probably throwing away a pill, and then scurried again in

t0 its nest. Its further constructing stages src to foe seen on fi^ç» 4 It did not always place the fresh pills in the deepest part of the turret. Though pill 7. occupied the deepest place even in the beginning, the situation remained unchanged after the