Tiphiid Wasp
Subfamily Tiphiinae
This long-bodied wasp I found at Strawberry Reservoir in
Wasatch County is a predator of ground
beetles. It will paralyze its beetle victim, lay an egg
on it, and when the wasp larva emerges it dines
on the ready-made meal (sounds like a horror movie, doesn't
it). © Carol Davis, 7/24/11
In many species of the Tiphiid Wasp, the female is
wingless. This one is probably
a male but I don't know for sure. Being wingless would
make it easier to hunt
for ground beetles. Here's a link
describing the Tiphiid Wasp. ©
Carol Davis, 7/24/11
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