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Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1081, 6 February 1918, Page 6

’Hie mason bee. familiar to residents nf the North island, lias recently made its appearance at Waiiiola, states the Otago Daily Times, ’litis curious insect utilises confined spaces for its operations, and in these forms cells ol clay for the storage of its fn.-h food snppb. its prey consists chiefly ol rpiders, .which are rendered helpless by stinging 'or other process, and then are placed alive in the ceils and bricked in. A correspondent relate.-, that be found over a. dozen spiders in one keyhole, and from some four or live feet of wall cracks a. quantity 0.-timated at about two hundred were i leaned cut. The hco hud also cemented the lower edge of a meat dish, used only a. day or two In-fore, to the shelf on which it Stood, and already had a number of insects imprisoned. - Mo:jl of .the spiders taken out of the cells were still alive, hut remained helpless during the period of observation. In the north the mason hco is apt to become a miisanee, but perhaps the greater eokl.of tin- couth will prevent it securing a footing down here.