Based on true events

Life is never quite so beautiful until one protects the life of another. Such was the discovery of a young man who wished to do this very thing. But little skill did he have to treat his fellow men, or the surrounding mammals and birds, and these cases he always presented to a knowledgeable doctor, who was also a veterinarian. He, in turn, would take them and heal them on charity. But what was the young man to do, this Mr. Grey who now beheld much grey on the horizon if he could not help anyone or anything himself. Over this he brooded while seated upon the concrete stairs of his medical friend, and indeed , there was grey on the horizon, but it was swiftly receding, for the rain-laden clouds which caused it were drifting away after a downpour. Then, the eye of Mr. Grey, turning from these, alighted upon an indigo puddle at his feet. There, in its centre, was a waterlogged ant, as shiny as a bead of glass. Knowing that it would easily drown without his help, the man stooped and fetched it gently from the water with his finger. But there it rested, unmoved, for lo! It seemed already dead. Mr. Grey’s momentarily flying spirits fell again at the sight of it, and though he had no hope for the creature’s life, he decide that he would at least dry it before setting it in a secluded area of lawn. Therefore, he blew upon it like west wind, and bit  by bit it dried, and its limbs, as they were freed, waved in his breath. Suddenly, he halted and looked ever so closely at the tips of these limbs. Were they really moving? Yes, indeed, they were twitching, however spasmodically. A new-found hope arose within Mr. Grey’s  breast, and with the gentlest touch, he moved one of the limbs back and forth, and blew upon it by intervals, to get the blood of the ant flowing again. For many long and arduous minutes, he continued this until the ant trembled, and knowing that insects breath better upright, he most carefully stood it on his palm, in the sun, and continued his insect CPR. And was he successful? His letter to the doctor, his friend, speaks for itself:

“My dear Dr. Wynsdale,

I have written to inform you that I have discovered a trade for myself. I am to be a veterinarian, and there is no need to look aghast. I will specialize in insects which have succumbed to the gutters of the street. With ants and moths I am most successful, not having lost even one which I have treated, though I did literally lose one before I could revive it. This is because it had gotten blown into grass, and I was unable to find it. Wasps of small to medium stature seem to be easily fetched, Ichneumon and Braconid wasps I am speaking of, but I lost one larger patient of this kind, unfortunately through my own foolishness. One large Harvestman I was unable to  revive, but a smaller one, despite having lost a few limbs, after an hour or two recovered brilliantly, and crawled away on its own. I noted to myself not to touch Harvestman legs for they are too delicate. I uncomfortably discovered this once, and did not want to make the same mistake again. Thankfully, the Harvestman was quite dead. But all in all, it is a rewarding practice, and I hope to speak to you concerning it later.

Your uneducated colleague of medical arts, 

Mr. Grey

Ants
Order Hymenoptera

Ants are, believe it or not, related rather closely to wasps and bees. They are famous for their colonies and are a fascination to watch. There are about three basic types of ants: queens, drones ( males), and workers (females). Among the workers, there can, in certain species, be ants of a larger size called soldier ants which defend the colony. Yes, ants can cultivate aphids and obtain their honey dew by stroking them, but some species go as far as to take them into the nest. In the nest, different chambers have select purposes: one houses the queen, some for larvae, some for eggs and some pupae.

Ichneumon and Braconid Wasps
Family Ichneumonidae and Braconidae

These two families of wasps look nothing like hornets and yellow jackets, but, in the case of Ichneumons, they are long and crane-like, or, in the case of most Braconids, small and stout. Most species of both families are characterized by females with short to long ovidepositor to lay their eggs. They parasitise many insects, both pests and otherwise, by laying their eggs upon or in them or their young. The young wasps then use the host for food until they are mature.