Recently, I was out contemplating the next step on my back deck, when I noticed some activity in the sand alongside one of the footers. This parasitic wasp was hard at work digging a tunnel for its soon to be layed egg.
Parasitic Wasps (I don't know the specific name for this one) have an interesting life cycle. They will dig a burrow in sand or other appropriate soil for their nest.
They will continue to burrow until their entire body fits down below the surface. Once the chamber is complete, they head out to stock it with food.
Unfortunately, for me, it only took a matter of minutes before the adult returned with a parasitized catepillar upon which it would lay its egg. I wasn't ready with the camera for such a speedy return and missed that photo opportunity.
Once the deed is done and the catepillar safely underground, they will use their legs to throw sand back over the opening and even pull adjacent debris over it to help hid it from hungry predators. Having completed their task, off they fly to repeat the process again somewhere else. After incubation, the yound wasp hatches and emerges from the burrow to repeat the life cycle for the next generation.
Pretty cool!
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