Photo: Cuckoo Wasp, Judy Gallagher
We are pleased to announce the winner of last week’s Monday Nature Mystery, Kaycee Durst Lichliter.
Congratulations to Kaycee for identifying the Cuckoo Wasp (Chrysis smaragdula).
Cuckoo Wasp (Chrysis smaragdula). Photo: Judy Gallagher
According to Insect Identification, Cuckoo Wasps get their name thanks to their parenting strategy. Similar to the Cuckoo bird, Cuckoo Wasps lay their eggs in the nests of other bees. When a Cuckoo Wasp larva hatches, it eats the other bee larvae and then consumes the stores of food left in the nest. Because of this behavior, the Cuckoo Wasp is a parasite to a variety of other bee and wasp species.
Each Monday we’ll post a new mystery and identify the previous week’s winner. They’ll receive an ASNV hat or tote bag.
Here is this week’s mystery:
Who is this?
Be sure to post your guess on our Facebook page under the latest Monday Nature Mystery post. Good Luck!
Please check our guidelines here.
Monday Nature Mystery: Who is this? Photo: Christopher Adler/Audubon Photography Awards