“To be found is to be exposed. No wonder so many of us are still lost.”
Craig D. Lounsbrough

Looks like nobody is interested to be found.

AT A LOSS

In the image below you can see a hole in the slanted ground and I was wondering what could be the reason

FOUND

Luckily I was in burst mode and exactly after 2 seconds, I found this

First I thought it was a cockroach. I was surprised because I have never seen cockroaches digging a tunnel in the sand like this. (not that I am an expert in Blattodea)

A quick internet search informed me that it’s a Tarantula Hawk, (known commonly as spider hawk) the name of which I am unaware.

I am seeing this insect for the first time.

And this is one example of why one should be camera-ready all the time!

Are you aware of the Schmidt sting pain index?

Schmidt describes 4 types of pain levels that the humans can experience, based on his experience (subjecting himself to bug bites)

Tarantula hawk sting bite is categorised as a type 4 pain level under Schmidt Sting Pain Index.

Regarding the intensity of the pain caused, the tarantula hawk is awarded 2nd place, with first-place taken by South American Bullet Ant.

Schmidt suggested that when stung…the only response is to lay down and scream!

Some facts on Tarantula Hawk (wasp)

1. For humans, Its sting is said to be the most painful wasp sting in the world( spider’s worst nightmare). I am fortunate that way. It never threatened me as I was trying to photograph.
2. It paralyses the spider with its sting drags it to the burrow which acts as living food for its offspring (the luxury of pre-prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for the larva till it becomes a full-grown wasp and leaves the house permanently)
3. The unfortunate part is once the egg hatches, the larva eats its prey which is alive but paralysed. Agonising death indeed! Nature’s ways of sustaining all the world species! We can’t demand explanations from Mother Nature.
4. The sex determination of the wasp depends on whether the egg is fertilised or not. If the egg is fertilised, the resulting sex is female and if the egg is unfertilised the sex is male.
5. The wasps feed on the nectar.

Now after seeing the wasp and the burrow…I realised that it must be pregnant and busy digging so that it can bring a paralysed spider into it later.

Lessons

• Learning and knowing things- is always a continuous process.
• Acquiring additional knowledge is never a waste of time.
• Photographers must be aware of the surrounding dangers and should not get immersed in their job, I must admit that in this case, I was ignorant of this powerful wasp and so silly of me to think that it was a cockroach!

“I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing” Socrates

How true Socrates was!

Thank you for your visit.

Take care, my friend.

Namaste 🙏🙏🙏

Philo

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Image by © PTP-2022 All Rights Reserved

This post is part of Debbie Smyth’s One word Sunday- FOUND photo challenge