Maria Lukyanenko/ article author
Identification of pests, work with insect cultures, micrograph of insects, bibliographic studies.

Wasp warrior

The wasp warrior has the official name Megalara garuda. The view was discovered relatively recently in Indonesia in the southeastern part of the island of Sulawesi. Officially presented to the public, described in 2012 by American, German scientists. Wasp warrior attributed to the subfamily of sand. Leads a solitary lifestyle, is a predator, acts as a representative the largest wasps on the ground.

Description of appearance

The insect received the name Garuda in honor of the mythical chimera - a symbol of Indonesia. The second - a wasp warrior, stuck due to lifestyle, aggressive behavior against enemies. Also called a Komodo lizard.

On a note!

One of the few species of wasps when the male is larger than the female. The body size of a male individual reaches 34 mm, of a female - 20. Outwardly, it has similarities with some species of large wasps - Dalara, Paraliris.

A terrifying look adds to the insect black color, large jaws. Abdomen, head bent down. Tenacious paws freely dig the earth. Long, narrow, transparent wings are slightly smaller than the size of the body. The wasps of warriors are distinguished from other representatives by powerful jaws that look like tusks of an elephant, curved down. A photo of a warrior wasp is presented below.

Wasp warrior
Wasp warrior

Lifestyle

The behavior, habits, and disposition of a warrior wasp are under study, but the main points from the life of an insect are already known. Refers to single wasps. Leads a primitive lifestyle. The whole mission is to mate, lay an egg. The female does not take part in feeding the larvae, but provides food completely for the entire development phase.

To lay eggs, a wasp warrior searches for large insects, their eggs. In search of larvae, it burrows underground, seeks out a potential victim, and paralyzes it with poison. Dragging into a mink prepared in advance for the future larva, laying an egg on the abdomen. After a few days, a larva appears. It digs into the body of the victim, begins to eat slowly as it grows.

The larva leaves vital organs and systems in the end, thanks to such selective nutrition, the victim remains alive and fresh longer. At the end of his developmental cycle, he leaves the victim, or everything that remains of him, pupates. An imago emerges from the pupa. A separate mink is built for each egg, an individual prey is sought.

Wasp Megalara Garuda
Wasp Megalara Garuda

On a note!

Wasp warriors live apart, do not create a swarm, do not build tiered nests, burrowing underground only for the sake of laying eggs. They live in the open air, lead a completely carefree lifestyle. Insects do not communicate with each other by signals, sounds, and do not need the support of other members of the family.

Behavior features

The insect belongs to predators, but adults mainly feed on nectar, plant juices, and ripe fruits. Victims are caught to feed the larvae that need protein food. Wasp warrior calmly attacks beetles, spiders, which are larger than them at times.

Paralyzes the victim poisonthat lets in the body with a sting. The “weapon” has the shape of a large needle, it sticks into the skin, the chitin cover of insects with special ease is also easy to remove. Often in the wasp fight, the warrior uses powerful jaws, and also uses them to hook the caught prey, drag it to the right place.

Danger to humans

The main question that people asked after the new species was introduced was whether a wasp warrior bites a person or not, how dangerous its attack is.The insect does not differ in aggressive disposition, prefers to stay away from people, does not pretend to possess it, the sting uses in case of necessary protection.

On a note!

A warrior wasp sting is less painful than public, paper relatives. It's all about the composition of the poison, which is not so toxic, but enough to paralyze the victim. Very rarely, the strongest allergic reaction, In most cases bite subtle, does not cause much concern.

Wasp sting Megalara garuda
Wasp sting Megalara garuda

Outwardly, it looks like this:

  • edema;
  • redness;
  • numbness;
  • itching during healing.

It takes place on its own in a few days, but first aid is recommended. Wipe the affected area with alcohol tincture, medical alcohol, washed under running water.

Having settled on the territory of man, the wasp warrior does not cause discomfort. She does not attack, does not build large nests that can be accidentally stepped on or hurt, does not call for help from relatives. The insect is not an object for destruction, some people are even happy about such a neighborhood. Wasp warrior helps fight pests of horticultural crops, making it easier for people to work, benefiting.

Despite the menacing appearance, large size, the wasp warrior is not dangerous to humans, but it can bite. The exception is people with an increased tendency to an allergic reaction, a genetic predisposition. It saves the fact that Garuda does not attack unnecessarily, and even with aggression from the person prefers to fly away rather than attack and bite.

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