The name of the article was beewolves. It discussed the behavioral patterns of both the male and female beewolf specie. The article was written in the Scientific American issue of August 1991. The authors were Howard E. Evans and Kevin M. O'Neill. When this article was written, together both scientists had studied 20 different species of insects and observed various insect behaviors under natural field conditions and had worked together to study Beewolf Behavior for more than 15 years.
Dr. Howard E. Evans has been a professor of entomology emeritus at the Colorado State University, since 1973. Pervious to that, he was a curator of Hymenoptera at the Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. He received a Ph.D. in entomology from Cornwell University and is the author of 12 books and more than 200 articles on insects and their behavior.
Dr. Kevin M. O'Neill has a Ph.D. in entomology from Colorado State University. There he studied under Dr. Howard E. Evans, and is now the assist professor of entomology at Montana State University. He has written one book, with Dr. Evans, and 35 papers on insect behavior and ecology.
In pervious studies of beewolf behavior , it has been noted that female beewolves use land marks to find their burrows(which serve as a nest for the developing young). The females would first dig a burrow, fly a mile away to catch a bee and bring the bee back to the same burrow, among others. Several experiments were conducted by scientist to fully understand the behavior pattern of the female beewolf.
The first experiment would determine whether the females used local landmarks to find the burrow. The prediction that was made was that, if the local landmarks are removed or changed, females won't be able to find the burrows.During the experiement scientist swept around the burrow; removing the local landmarks. When the female returned to the burrow, she stopped, approached the previous position of the landmarks, and did not go directly to burrow. The conclusion to the first experiment, was that the females did not use local landmarks.
The second experiment would provide proof that if the landmarks were moved to a nearby spot, the female would go to the wrong burrow. The scientists moved the landmarks while the female was hunting. The result was that the female entered the burrow around where the old landmarks were placed. The conclusion to the second experiment, was that the females use landmarks.
The third experiment would determine whether the females memorized landmarks around the burrow at the time she leaves to hunt. The prediction that was made, was that if new cues are set up while the female is burrowing, the female will look for those cues when she returns. The scientist arranges his own landmarks while the female was burrowing. The female returned to the landmarks, that had been set up by the scientists, despite whether it was in the same place or displaced a few feet to one side. In conclusion, female beewolves use local landmarks to find their burrows.
Studies of the male beewolf species have shown, that they are naturally Highly aggressive and Fight among themselves for access to the females. To defend their territories the males would spend most of their time perching but will react immediately to all intruders or threats, especially females and males of the same species. During a fierce encounter between two males, they butt heads in midair and wrestle on the ground. It is believed that in order to attract females to their territory, the males mark vegetation with a Pheromone, making the territory worth defending.
The cycle of beewolves, depending on the species, begin from late spring to late summer. The males appear fist and later mate with the females once they emerge. After mating, the female constructs an underground burrow, where she will place her prey, lay her eggs, and seal off the entrance. The prey she captures and places in the burrow will serve as food for her newly hatched young. After the eggs are laid, a day or two after, the larva hatch and devour its prey. When the larva reaches its full size, a week later, it spins a cocoon in which it will over-winter and metamorphose into an adult.