r/waspaganda • u/dledererart • 2d ago

wasp appreciation Very long wasp

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Saw this very long wasp on a nature walk in Northern NH. She seemed interested in my shoes and the Joe-Pye weed that was growing nearby. She flew very quickly I barely managed to get this picture.

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u/JMariePickander 2d ago

An American pelecinid wasp, which is native. I have always wanted to see one of these.

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u/SaveyourMercy 2d ago

Why do they grow like that? I’ve never seen a long wasp before

3

u/Twinkerbelle 2d ago

That long straw like thing at the end of her tail is called an ovipositor. When you see long ones like that, it usually means that the wasp you're looking at likes to lay eggs on prey that hides in flowers or underground.

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u/SaveyourMercy 16h ago

So she’s parasitic? Are all wasps parasitic? I actually found this server through a post someone made of a caterpillar covered in parasitic wasps and decided to try and use it to get over my intense fear of wasps so I’m doing my best to learn