wood-wasp

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A European social wasp, or paper-wasp, Vespa sylvestris, which hangs its nest in a tree.
2. n. A wasp which burrows in wood, as certain species of Crabronidæ. The female, by means of her strong broad mandibles, excavates cells in the sand or in rotten timber, in which she deposits her eggs, with larvæ or insects as food for her progeny when hatched. These insects are extremely active in their habits, and fond of the nectar of flowers. The larger species are marked with yellow rings, while those of the smaller are generally black. See cut under Crabro.
3. n. A horntail; any member of the Uroceridæ (or Siricidæ), the lnrvæ of all of which are wood-borers; a tailed wasp, as Urocerus or Sirex gigas.