horror story - not for the squamish

not for the squeamish!  here is a real life horror story found on my very stoep one sunny afternoon.

Spider Hunting Wasps - this one about 10mm long with glossy blue wings and red orange eyes and feelers - was found wandering around carrying a heavy burden close to the underside of its body. Obviously a prey item it was looking for a place to stash it.  On closer inspection it was the body of a spider - probably a wolf spider -

it was still alive but the wasp had removed its legs (ugh sorry - i am squeamish about this) having immobilised it with a paralysing sting.

We dug out the insect books and according to information the plan this wasp has is to bury its prey in a crevice or safe place and lay an egg inside it.  After about ten days the egg will then hatch and feed on the

immobilised but still living spider before spinning a cacoon around them both.  It will then lie dormant for some months until conditions are right for it to emerge and perpetuate the history of its species.

sorry but it gives me the chills - and though truth may be stranger than fiction - there are some human stories that horrify in similar ways.  Its the paralysed victim scenario that i cant quite deal with i think - even though i know everything in nature has a role to play.

just thought i would share that with you. Oh and check your neighbourhood, these wasps do not only occur in Africa!!!