Wasp larvae. Rows of larvae in the nest of the wasp Polistes sp. The black head and bulbous mouthparts of the larvae are seen, one larva each in a hex

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Wasp larvae. Rows of larvae in the nest of the wasp Polistes sp. The black head and bulbous mouthparts of the larvae are seen, one larva each in a hexagonal cell of the nest. The queen of the nest builds these hexagonal cells from chewed-up dry plant material mixed with saliva. After laying her eggs, she guards them as they hatch into larvae. The larvae are fed on digested insects, and fresh or rotting meat. Fully formed larvae close each cell with silk and spin a cocoon. Four to six weeks after the egg is laid the larva pupates into an adult worker, and helps to raise the next generation of wasps.

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Size: 4674px × 3078px
Photo credit: © CLAUDE NURIDSANY & MARIE PERENNOU/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, larva, nature, nest, polistes, sp., type, wasp, wildlife, zoology