Hymenoptera > Sphecidae > Podalonia sp.

Cutworm Wasps

(Podalonia sp.)

Tuesday, 28 April 2020

As I was weeding the front garden, I was distracted by a cutworm wasp. It was behaving as they always seem to behave: flitting about on the ground or a few centimeters above it.

Then it began to dig a hole.

Since Podalonia, unlike most Sphecids, finds and paralyzes its prey before digging a nest, I figured there must be a paralyzed cutworm nearby.

I looked around in the vicinity and, sure enough, there was cutworm lying immoble on the ground a couple meters away from the wasp.

I watched her dig for a few minutes, and she was making good progress. But then, for some reason, she flew off, staying nearby, but it looked to me like she had abandoned her uncompleted nest. I went into the house, intending to check back soon.

But alas, I was too late. When I returned, maybe 15 minutes later, the cutworm was gone. I'll never know whether she managed to drag it to the nest that I saw her digging, or to another nest. Or maybe bird came by and swiped it.

Next time I'll try to be more patient!