Gasteruption jaculator

Ichneumon
Hard to believe that this insect's ovipositor can get down into the cavities of mason bees etc to deposit the eggs. This one is just starting to drill. It bends when uder pressure. No idea what the white was in the background.

About 1973
Ecktachrome.

Pentax etc.

JohnR

Super image John.

What a great capture, John. The creature itself gives me creeps though. Well done.

That's fantastic. Only very, very minor nit is if it was a touch brighter so I could see the body against the dark background a little better.

here comes that green again.. LOL! Nits covered but what a super image of the subject. Who's smoking in the BG..

Brett

Thats cool John! Maybe the white tip is a warning light.. Danger... Ichneumon at work!
Great capture!

Thanks all.
Its a terrible scan really but its interesting I thought.The whole insects body is about an inch long by the way.
Joh R

very interesting image, never seen anything like it

An interesting image John. Perhaps the white in the background is smoke from the drilling wasp

Very interesting indeed. The diversity in Nature is wonderous to behold.

Hi John,

Great bit of behaviour, really interesting image. I've been enjoying all your blasts from the past recently, keep rummaging through those slides!

Cheers,

Lewis.