Monday, February 13, 2012

Hunting the Hunter

This large wasp was buzzing around in my garden for a while this afternoon, looking for something:
Just taking a rest on a rose leaf before continuing the search.

It's a spider-hunting wasp, Heterodotonyx bicolor, and it was looking for a spider such as a huntsman. When it finds one, it will sting and paralyse it, lay an egg in it, then seal it in an underground burrow. When the egg hatches, the larva will feed on the (still alive) spider. Doesn't that sound like the plot of a very scary horror story?
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3 comments:

  1. LeonieFebruary 14, 2012 at 9:56 AM

    Yep, sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. But isn't he a handsome feller?

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  2. kaiteMFebruary 14, 2012 at 2:32 PM

    that's the wasp i thought had made those holes in my garden as i have seen one of them around. i love to watch them as they are so strong while dragging the hapless victim to its burrow. well done you for capturing the pic.

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  3. DeeFebruary 15, 2012 at 7:02 AM

    Just marvellous Vireya! I have never ever seen one in my garden.

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