Inbox: May 2022

First published on May 02, 2022

join the conversation

Photo Feature

Infestation
Infestation: Parasitoid wasps lay their eggs on or inside other arthropods, with their larvae feeding on the host’s tissues, ultimately killing it. These wasps are vital natural enemies of insects and serve as biological ‘pest controllers’ for agriculture and forestry. Highly diverse, parasitoid wasps target various hosts, predominantly Lepidoptera, but also some beetles, flies, and bugs. Notably, spider wasps (Pompilidae) specialise in attacking spiders. Photo: Epil Kongari/Sanctuary Photolibrary.