Cuckoo Wasp – Chrysis angolensis

Cuckoo Wasp – Chrysis angolensis

Cuckoo wasps lay their eggs in the nests of other hymenoptera, usually other solitary bees or wasps. Many are parasitic on bee or wasp larvae, some attack Symphyta larvae and one attacks Phasmid (walking stick) eggs.

Cuckoo wasp sneaking around entrance to bee nest

In she goes!

I found this single specimen rummaging around in the holes of a dead tree where ichneumon wasps were having a field day, too.

I never saw any custom car with a paint job like this gal. These creatures are fairly rare, and sighting one is a real treat. Hope you like our pics.

Order Hymenoptera: Bees, Wasps, & Ants
Hymenoptera (Latin for membrane wing) is a vast assemblage of insects second only to Coleoptera (beetles) in the number of described species. Hymenoptera number some 115,000 species – of which 18,000 live in North America. Hymenopterans inhabit a wide variety of habitats, and show an incredible diversity in size, behavior, structure and color.
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