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Project Noah Nature School
Pepsis sp (I think)
About 3 cm body length, dark in colour with a blue metallic sheen depending on light; orange/brown patches on wings and yellow section of antennae. These wasps catch spiders and immobilise them with a sting. Then they'll drag the paralised spider into their burrow, laying an egg on it. Once the larva hatches, it feeds on the paralised, yet alive spider. The adult wasps feed on nectar, and can often be seen on flowering plants.
Ecuadorian Andes, at about 2500 m above sea level in forested areas.
Spotted on Jul 16, 2016
Submitted on Jul 29, 2016
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