Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) on spearmint flowers (Mentha spicata). Great Golden Digger Wasps, (Sphex ichneumoneus), are cosmopolitan predators found in North America that can sting and paralyze prey insects. In preparation for egg laying they construct a protected nest, and then stock it with captured insects. Typically the prey are left alive, but paralyzed by wasp toxins. The wasps lay their eggs in the provisioned nest and when the wasp larvae hatch, they feed on the paralyzed insects. The developing wasps spend the winter in their nest and when the new generation of adults emerge, they contain the genetically-programmed behaviours that are required to carry out another season of nest building. | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Science Source / John Kaprielian |
Taille de l’image : | 3333 px × 5000 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |