Hello Recipients,
The solitary wasp featured this week belongs to the genus Chlorion (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) and was collected by a local insect enthusiast. This wasp makes its nest in loose or sandy soil which it provisions with crickets or cockroaches that it paralyzes with its sting. These paralyzed prey items provide food for the wasp larvae. The adult wasps feed on nectar and hunt only for their offspring.
The white arrow in the photo of the full wasp indicates the location of the wasp's propodeal spiracle. As many of you may know, insects breathe through holes in their bodies (spiracles) that allow diffusion of oxygen from the air into the insect's blood. The close up image illustrates the external structure of the spiracle as well as the beautiful color and sculpture of the wasp's exoskeleton.
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