wierd beyond belief!

[FordGuy]

this pegged my wierd meter - you guys may say it's nothing new but as for me, whoa......


I was observing a brown/red paper wasp, and noticed it had 5 parasites clinging to it! I ran for the camera but it was gone. They looked like small black grains of rice, and they had their heads tucked up and under the "scales" ? of the wasp's abdomen! the wasp was sickly looking, more wisp than wasp, but managed to fly away.

I googled various combinations of wasp, parasite, etc. but nothing. Anyone seen anything like this? I was feeding in the same open feed as my honey bees...

[Bizzybee]

No, but send me some!!! Dang wasps are terrible around here! :)

[King bee apiary]

I want some for yellowjackets.Darn things will not leave you alone here,always bussing your face and head.Traps are all full of em and still more come..

[RonS]

I suggest that these are parasitic larvae from a specie of fly or perhaps wasp. There are different larvae for different insects. There are certain small flies or wasps that lay eggs on the heads of fire ants. The egg hatchs and the larva eat the ant's brain. Gruesome, but very effective. They all have to eat.

[Bizzybee]

Phorid Flies!! Those are cool!! But GA has put them in Tifton. At their expansion rate, we should see em up here maybe around 2075! :D We'll have em domesticated by then! :D

[kensfarm]

Fordguy.. that does bring into question what damage are we doing when we open feed.. are we providing a community pot-porri of desease & parisite exchange?

[Bizzybee]

Could bee, more contact between the different bees will occur. But wouldn't prevent the inevitable I wouldn't think? Those same bees will frequent the hives looking for free meals.