Cuckoo wasp

Description:

Group of parasitoid or kleptoparasitic wasps, with brilliantly coloured metallic-like bodies. They are most diverse in desert regions of the world, as they are typically associated with solitary bee and wasp species, which are also most diverse in such areas. Wasps in the family lay eggs in the nests of unrelated host species where their larvae consume the host egg or larva while it is still young, then the food provided by the host for its own juvenile. Chrysidines are distinguished from the members of other subfamilies in that most have flattened or concave lower abdomens and can curl into a defensive ball when attacked by a potential host, in a process known as conglobation. Protected by hard chitin in this position, they are expelled from the nest without injury and can search for a less hostile host. Chrysididae, the scientific name of the family, refers to their shiny bodies

Habitat:

Pine tree forest at the mountains above 1000 m. high. Parque Nacional de Sierra de Guadarrama

Notes:

Camera Model: NIKON D300. Exposure Time: 1/400 sec.; f/10; ISO Speed Rating: 800. Exposure Bias: 0 EV. Focal Length: 300.0 mm. No Flash fired