Don’t Run

I thought I’d continue with the alien-theme by using this shot of one of my favorite insects: the Great Golden Digger Wasp, or “Goldie”, the nickname coined by dbilfulco • Goldie’s angle on the milkweed plus the lighting gives her an extra-terrestrial look, at least to me. But no fear, there’s no need to run, because Goldie is a nectar-feeding, gentle wasp. Unless you’re a cricket, a katydid, or other small insect • Goldies emerge from their tunnels in the spring, and mate. Females then prepare to lay eggs by digging 6 to 7 tunnels, which can be as deep as 30cm. When not feeding on flower nectar, females paralyze unsuspecting insects with a quick sting, then fly their victim to one of the tunnels, place it inside head first, and lay an egg on top of it. Goldie then exits, and seals the tunnel with dirt • Goldie will soon die after all of her eggs have been safely placed. Her larvae inside the tunnels feast on the live insects and will overwinter in their homemade cocoons. In spring they will all emerge to mate, and the cycle of life continues • See, not so alien afterall :)