I know what you're thinking. This is not a very impressive travel photo. That might be true. However, there's a story behind this.
This is a photo of a little scary red wasp dragging a big scary furry spider across a path in the jungle on the northeast coast of Honduras.
It began as an epic battle of wasp v. spider. Given that the spider was (a) huge and (b) scary furry, I thought the wasp would be a goner. However, it turns out that this spider is not dangerous despite its furriness.
After a while, the spider went limp, and the wasp began dragging it across the path! It was moving at a pretty fast clip, too. We were amazed that the wasp had killed the spider.
However, it turned out that the wasp didn't kill the spider. Oh no. It just poisoned the spider so that it was unconcious. It was dragging it back to its nest where it would lay eggs in the spider. The spider would wake up and go about its business until the eggs hatched and the baby wasps began eating the spider from the inside out.
These wasps are apparently too small to cause harm to humans. That said, I wasn't feeling great about our sleeping accomodations that night. (I've added a picture below just to show you why, even though there's only supposed to be ONE picture!)
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pepmod at 5:24am on Mar. 26, 2008
7 months ago
i am not a big fan of bugs Reply...
bucho_ky at 1:25pm on Mar. 25, 2008
7 months ago
Bugs never bothered me too much until I was sleeping in a $3 a night bungalow outside Siem Reap in Cambodia. I felt something under the mattress and when I flipped it up, a 12-inch long centipede made a run for the wall. I never found him and had to spend the night in there with it! Needless to say, I was wrapped up pretty tight in the sheets that night. :) Reply...
cadddymob at 12:01pm on Mar. 25, 2008
7 months ago
We have a very similar wasp here in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona called the Tarantula Hawk - they do the same thing, paralyze, drag away, lay eggs upon.
Actually just about every species of spider has a parasitic wasp that does this. Wasps are really interesting creatures...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk Reply...
KidGuru at 11:07pm on Mar. 19, 2008
8 months ago
yikes, i would be scared to sleep too and if i did i would probaly buy those nets that cast over the bed and sleep with some type of repellent hope you get em Reply...
lb at 9:20am on Mar. 24, 2008
we didn't have nets. We survived, but still. nets would have been good. there were screens, but it seemed like we were sharing that cabin with 20,000 bugs. Reply...
stinsonamanda at 1:18pm on Mar. 23, 2008
8 months ago
I am not a big fan of jungle-insect-creatures. And this is why. It makes me shudder. Reply...
lb at 9:20am on Mar. 24, 2008
there are all sorts of crazy creatures in the jungle, that's true. It's amazing how loud it is at night! Reply...
pengfree at 8:35pm on Mar. 22, 2008
8 months ago
EEEEKS that's disgusting!! That gives me the creepy crawlies just thinking about it! Good to know that the wasp can't do harm to humans though....... Reply...
lb at 9:17am on Mar. 24, 2008
I know. It's terrifying. Even though they are too small to do any damage to humans, I'd still like to not be stung! Reply...