ehsimons
Mole Cricket Hunter (Larra bicolor)
Larra bicolor is a parasitoid wasp that was introduced to Florida from its native South America as a biological pest control of invasive mole crickets.
These wasps feed on nectar as adults. The females hunt mole crickets of the genus Scapteriscus, stinging them on the underside to paralize them for a few minutes. A single egg is laid between the first and second pairs of legs. The wasp flies off and the cricket returns to its burrow. Once hatched, the wasp larva feeds on its host, eventually killing it (12-30 days). It then forms a cocoon (Depending on temperature) in the remains of the cricket. In winter it may enter a diapause, delaying emergence for several months. Adults are solitary and neither form nests or colonies. They do not parasitize the native mole crickets.
Mole Cricket Hunter (Larra bicolor)
Larra bicolor is a parasitoid wasp that was introduced to Florida from its native South America as a biological pest control of invasive mole crickets.
These wasps feed on nectar as adults. The females hunt mole crickets of the genus Scapteriscus, stinging them on the underside to paralize them for a few minutes. A single egg is laid between the first and second pairs of legs. The wasp flies off and the cricket returns to its burrow. Once hatched, the wasp larva feeds on its host, eventually killing it (12-30 days). It then forms a cocoon (Depending on temperature) in the remains of the cricket. In winter it may enter a diapause, delaying emergence for several months. Adults are solitary and neither form nests or colonies. They do not parasitize the native mole crickets.