These are the wings covered in rain of a Scoliid wasp. They are huge, scary things, and this one had a bright orange head (not in pic)
This is almost full frame, in the field, with my new macro rig, which I made myself, which I am quite chuffed about.
These are also called mammoth solitary wasps for obvious reasons when you see one...and interestingly they are parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae, as the females sting them, and then move the paralyzed beetle larva into it before depositing an egg. yikes....I will not tell you what happens next. Use your imagination!
Interesting, and downright weird factoid: At least one species of this wasp (not in Hong Kong) has been seen to engage in pseudocopulation with an orchid. Flowers of the orchid Bipinnula penicillata in subtropical South America resemble females of Pygodasis bistrimaculata, tricking male wasps into attempting to mate and, in the process, provide pollination. How clever is that? I think plants will rule the world one day....
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