The Large Black Hunting Wasp

This was a lucky shot. I see one of these big wasps on average every 5 or 6 years. Today there was a little thin sunshine so I took my camera out and saw the wasp straight away. Sunshine brings out the iridescent colours in the wings. Because the sunshine was thin the colours are soft. Last time it was sunny.

The large black hunting wasp, (Priocnemis monachus), is endemic to New Zealand. The female hunts large spiders, which she drags back to her nest to feed her young. At 20mm long it is the largest wasp I see in my garden.