Mr

August 16, 2020

Mr. Edward Gravely of Martinsville sent us a picture of a blue-winged wasp (Scolia dubia) recently. These wasps can often be found collecting nectar from flowers in late summer. The females burrow into the earth in search of beetle grubs, particularly those of the June beetle (Cotinis nitida). The wasps sting the grubs to paralyze them and then lay a single egg on the grub, which provides food for the wasp larva. Thanks for the pic, Mr. Gravely!