XL Ovipositor, Pt. 3 - _TNY_5952

Gasteruptiid wasps use thier *very* long ovipositor to drill their way into the nesting holes of solitary bees to lay their own eggs there so their offspring can parasitize on the bee's larvae.

 

This is obviously a female with that ovipositor and either a Gasteruption jaculator or G. caucasicum, but they only differ in one species having a couple of indentations in the neck and my shots don't offer conclusive evidence which of them it is.

 

I found this one stuck inside a glass pane in my mother-in-law's greenhouse and helped it out and took advantage of it being very thirsty from the hot greenhouse and had my son offer it a wet finger for some refreshment which led to a nice little series of shots.

 

Pt. 1: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50556464842/

 

Pt. 2: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51863789320/

 

Closer shots here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50256033487/

 

here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50674565838/

 

here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51138218028/

 

here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51345031842/

 

and one here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50309769442/

 

Done