acacia blossoms

acacia blossoms

Friday, July 24, 2009

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!!!

9 comments:

pink dogwood said...

creepy - I hope to never witness this myself - creepy!!!

Chimera said...

Can't download photo at moment but am aware of this wasp and this spider and am all a-shudder!!! Something else!!
T xx

Lorac said...

Oh my gosh! I agree, chills! I hate spiders but I also hate the scenario of it's future!I have never heard of them in Canada...Yet! I couldn't see a picture though, maybe for the best.LOL

NanU said...

I thought spiders died if they lost a leg (let alone all of them!). Something to do with their body fluids leaking out. Your story is far creepier!

Anonymous said...

horrific, but absolutely fascinating!!

Lori ann said...

throwing up now. barf barf.

thank god your photo didn't show up. i'm going home now.

geez val

Rosaria Williams said...

Interesting way to assure survival.

Angela said...

There are some things in this world I DON`T WANT TO KNOW!
I am so glad I live in a moderate area with no scorpions and no huge spiders and wasps with horrible customs. All we "suffer" from at the moment is an invasion of cute ladybirds. And they eat rose lice and look pretty. Must get your unseen picture out of my head!
("implo" is the veri word, sounds accurate)

Anonymous said...

Eeeuw! That gives me the creeps too! Thankfully no such bugs here in the UK. Well, I don't think so!