#urocerus

by Frank Vassen

While watching and drawing cultural/prescribed fire during #klamathtrex2019, we saw quite a few horntails drawn to the burn. They are wasps that lay their eggs in dead or dying trees, injecting a fungus along with their eggs. The fungus predigests the wood for the larvae. These drawings are from photo references after the fact. I’m not sure what species we were seeing, but fairly certain it was in the genus Urocerus. #goodfire #horntail #woodwasp #urocerus #klamathmountains https://www.instagram.com/p/B4iMPGwAKul/?igshid=1o7k53euq14jf

i did let him look at it closely with me before we let it go unharmed.

exactly what it says on the tin

Urocerus gigas (Linnaeus 1758) [Abetone (PT) 07/07/15] #urocerus #gigas #horntail #wasp #woodwasp #animalia #arthropoda #arthropods #arthropod #insect #insects #insecta #hymenoptera #hymenopters #siricoidea #siricidae #animal_perfection #insect_perfection #arthropod_perfection #natureshots #nature_perfection #nature