Thursday, August 11, 2016

Bee-wolf Wasp Behaviour

The Bee-wolf  Wasp males (second image) are smaller than the females (first image), have yellower and more prominent face markings and are overall darker normally. 
The females normally fly with the bee tucked neatly under their body but occasionally drop the prey and then may fly with the prey dangling. The bee is taken into the burrow and a single egg laid on the prey. The female and later the wasp larva spread bacteria on the prey that will protect against fungal infections destroying the wasp larva food.

The final image is the Red-Banded Wasp with a moth caterpillar.




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