8.28.2010

Cool predatory insects

I was struck by how beautiful and impressive this dragonfly was.


Southeastern Spinyleg (Dromogomphus armatus)



I recently took this short video of a female solitary wasp carrying a subdued Broad-tipped Conehead (Neoconocephalus triops), which is a type of katydid, down into a burrow in which the wasp will lay a single egg. When the egg hatches, the young wasp larva will begin feeding on the katydid until it is fully grown and can metamorphose into an adult wasp. It will then go find a mate, breed, and begin the cycle once again. I was impressed by seeing the wasp actually fly in with something that is close to twice its size!

1 comment:

heidi said...

Love it! Takes some sneaky timing with the video though, eh?