Double-banded Scoliid Wasp on Mint - Scolia bicincta
by Carol Senske
Title
Double-banded Scoliid Wasp on Mint - Scolia bicincta
Artist
Carol Senske
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
This pretty wasp was dining on mint when I photographed it. The picture was taken August 13, 2010, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Their range is typically Eastern and Central North America, and you'll see them from July into October.
They are parasitoids of various insect larvae, like beetles. They burrow into the ground to find grubs, paralize them, lay their egg (or eggs, I'm not sure how many) on the grub, and the grub serves as food while the baby wasp grows.
You can read up on them at:
http://hr-rna.com/RNA/Other%20insect%20pages/Scolid%20page.htm
http://bugguide.net/node/view/4336
Uploaded
January 22nd, 2012
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Comments (2)
Sharon Burger
He looks vicious and beautiful at the same time, bet his breath is nice and minty.
Carol Senske replied:
Again with the laugh! I'd worry more about his other end; the breath doesn't much matter - LOL!