So on the avenue of the Giants (northern California, Aug 18th 2011) I find myself wandering in the trees and find a very pleasant stream. Then, by the rocks I see a ‘tarantula hawk’ type spider wasp dragging a paralyzed spider. Incredible beasties!
So the parasitic wasps find and paralyze the spider, then drag it back to a burrow they have made, and lay an egg on it, which then devours the paralyzed spider. Other than that, all I know about these wasps is they have incredibly painful stings, among the most painful stings of any insect.
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Tags: baby, beach, burrow, carrying, dead, eat, eating, feeding, formula, hawk, insect, nature, paralyzed, parasitic, spider, tarantula, to, wasp
August 19, 2011 at 8:40 pm |
Watching this reminded me of Dawkins’ “Growing up in the universe” lectures. This is a clipping from part 5 where Dawkins talks about fooling a digger wasp.
I’m not sure if its the same species, but it seem similar.
August 19, 2011 at 11:24 pm |
Damn nature, you crazy!
August 23, 2011 at 1:20 pm |
I actually watched the Australian version of that type of predator wasp repeatedly attack a Wolf spider, when I was chopping wood. I was about 10 at the time, and I can remember EVERYTHING as if it were yesterday.
The battle took about 3-4 minutes from start to finish, and the wasp dragged the spider around 4 metres to it’s little hole… That took longer, about 7 or 8 minutes (yes, I timed it!).
Horrifically creepy in one sense, but weirdly beautiful in another, and utterly entrancing; but it’s the vivid beauty that stayed with me.
When I finally saw the same thing on “Wild Kingdom”, mum & dad didn’t believe me… But I’ve remained in awe of ol’ ma Nature ever since!
Sometimes, we’re just born lucky!
August 31, 2011 at 5:36 am |
I’d never even heard of a “Tarantula Hawk” until you posted this then my dad and I saw one a couple days ago. Strange coincidence.
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