Cuckoo wasp

CHRYSURA PACIFICA

Amid the dusty hues of late summer, one sparkling jewel stands out. Fidgety as a nervous bridegroom, the dazzling cuckoo wasp is a kinetic burst of color as it hunts for bees in the summer heat. The small wasp is a parasite that sneaks into the nests of large solitary bees to lay its eggs. If threatened during its sneak intrusion, the wasp can curl into a tight ball by tucking its head into a groove in its abdomen. The skin, or cuticle, is thick and sculpted with pits, making the wasp highly resistant to the stingers and biting jaws of its victims. Later, after the bee larvae mature and begin pupating inside their cocoons, the wasp larvae hatch and eat the helpless prey. When not hunting for nesting bees, the adult cuckoo wasp feeds on flower nectar.

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NATURAL HISTORY

The cuckoo wasp is common, and sometimes abundant, throughout California. There are about 230 species in North America, but all of them have the same glittering appearance, which has earned them nicknames like "gold wasp," "ruby wasp" and "jewel wasp." Although they can sting, their stinger is very small.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

A quarter-inch to half-inch long, with characteristically pitted cuticle of dazzling blue-green; some species may show gold or red as well.