Functional but creepy

-- Photo and information by Thomas Hook

Mr. Hook notes that "Insects are everywhere. The exact number is unknown but there are at least a million separate species.''

So he joined  a a Facebook group called Insects of Connecticut.

This  spring and summer, while gardening, cleaning house, driving,  or whatever, he has noticed a number of interesting types that have enhanced his appreciation for these six-legged creatures. 

So, camera in hand, he goes on the hunt in his yard, on the edge of steep woodland in Southbury, Conn.

This female Pelecinad wasp crossed  his path one day. She is not one that will likely sting us.

She uses her long slender abdomen to thrust into the soil in search of grubs. When finding one, she lays an egg on it and when the egg hatches, the larva penetrates  the body of the defenseless grub and eats it from the inside out. 

While this is gruesome, it explains why this wasp has evolved into her current shape -- very functional but still a little bit creepy.

Meanwhile, we wonder how many species of insects global warming will send us in New England.