Orchid wasps, grasshoppers, Vaux's swifts and honey bees

There was some interesting action on the dike path at Hayton Farms Game Range at summer's end. The large territorial grasshoppers have been digging holes to lay eggs in the top gravel. This has drawn in large orchid wasps which was interested in parasitizing the grasshopper eggs and larva.

The wasps were searching the area for covered nest holes. They are large wasps with long needle-like ovipositor attached to the back of their abdomens. They penetrate the prey and lays an egg inside of its victim. The egg hatches and a wasp larva lunches on the host until its ready to hatch. The ground had s...