this is what the wasp is .. but in my defence it can look quite red .. :)
Orange Caterpillar Parasite Wasp – Netelia producta
Family ICHNEUMONIDAE
When attacking its host, the female wasp temporarily paralyses the caterpillar by stinging it. After the host paralysed, the wasp lay a brown egg onto the skin near the head of the caterpillar. These eggs can be seen if carefully visual check the caterpillars..
The wasp larva hatches from the egg and develops externally, hanging on the head of the caterpillar. The wasp larva will not complete its larval development until the caterpillar has tunneled into the soil and formed its pupation chamber. After the host forms its chamber, the wasp larva will feed and kill the host, spin a black furry cocoon within this chamber.
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Stunning. Fades out of focus like a dream. A delicate assassin. Imagine what it's like to be the caterpillar victim. Can we shrug our shoulders and muse, he or she hasn't consciousness as we determine it, is therefor insensible to pain? Maybe no dreams, and so no nightmares? These lines of inquiry can be overwhelming, so we save our sanity be backing off. At least I do. In the end, self-preservation.
One of my favorites of your wonderful plumbing of the world of insects. And my personal favorite of this challenge.
Similar compliment to the hummingbird entry, I like your choice to contrast the red against a green environment. Well composed and captured. I think I will also see this one on the front page.
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