A Sand Wasp, genus Bembecinus, spotted at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on 12 June 2022. It has caught a Ricaniid Planthopper and was in the process of moving it to a burrow. Catching such interactions is always the fascinating part of nature photography.
Photo 1: A Bembicini sand wasp dragging a plant hopper prey to its sand burrow. The prey is paralysed and stays alive to form living food for the wasp’s developing larva.
Photo 2: The sand wasp gets into the burrow to widen the mouth of its burrow. This sand wasp has the common yellow and black colour markings.
Photo 3: The sand wasp lowers its abdomen into the burrow to clear the chamber at the bottom.
Photo 4: The plant hopper prey is lowered into the burrow to form the stash of food for the sand wasp’s larva to feed on.
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