Choppers - _TNY_3483
Another shot of the lovely, but sleepy fuzzy orange Scoliid wasp (Thanks to gardener54 for help with the ID) that I found on a leaf one morning in the south of Phu Quoc, Vietnam. Campsomeris (Megacampsomeris) prismatica seems to be the best fit here. Male Scoliid wasps tend to have quite long antennae so I'm thinking this one is a female.
These guys are solitary parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae. The females burrow into the ground in search of these larvae and then use their sting to paralyze them. In this way, they are actually a quite important pest control, helping to keep the beetle population in check.
If you're watching this on your computer, do try and press "L" and then "Z" on your keyboard to zoom in and really see the detail on the eye.
First shot, showing the entire wasp: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/40411669352/
Choppers - _TNY_3483
Another shot of the lovely, but sleepy fuzzy orange Scoliid wasp (Thanks to gardener54 for help with the ID) that I found on a leaf one morning in the south of Phu Quoc, Vietnam. Campsomeris (Megacampsomeris) prismatica seems to be the best fit here. Male Scoliid wasps tend to have quite long antennae so I'm thinking this one is a female.
These guys are solitary parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae. The females burrow into the ground in search of these larvae and then use their sting to paralyze them. In this way, they are actually a quite important pest control, helping to keep the beetle population in check.
If you're watching this on your computer, do try and press "L" and then "Z" on your keyboard to zoom in and really see the detail on the eye.
First shot, showing the entire wasp: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/40411669352/