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MEGASCOLIA PROCER JAVANENSIS
Giant Scoliid Wasp

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Hymenoptera of the world (PDF)

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KINGDOM : Animalia

PHYLUM : Arthropoda

SUBPHYLUM : Hexapoda

CLASS : Insecta

ORDER : Hymenoptera

FAMILY : Scoliidae

GENUS : Megascolia

SPECIES : M. Procer

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Scoliid wasp of Florida,
Campsomeris,Scolia & Trielis. (PDF)


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MEGASCOLIA PROCER JAVANENSIS
Giant Scoliid Wasp

Megascolia procer (the Giant Scoliid Wasp) is a solitary wasp in the family Scoliidae. Found in the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java, it is one of the largest wasps in the world, with a wingspan of 11.6 cm.

The species is a parasitoid of the scarabeid Atlas beetle Chalcosoma atlas. The wasp paralyzes a beetle grub with its sting, then lays an egg on it and buries it in an underground cell. When the wasp larva hatches, it consumes its still-living host before pupating inside its remains.

The wings of this large tropical wasp are structurally coloured, making them iridescent. The wing is made of chitin, made dark with melanin, covered with a transparent overlayer 286 nm thick that acts as an interference thin film.

The family Scoliidae is composed of fairly large, stout-bodied wasps, often brightly patterned in shades of red and yellow, white, or one of these colors in combination with black. These wasps are parasitoids of soil-inhabiting scarab beetle larvae.

The family Scoliidae is represented in America north of Mexico by 20 species and numerous subspecies, in five genera.

Scoliid wasps may look intimidating when they congregate, they will only sting humans if severely harassed. Green June beetle and Japanese beetle grubs, on the other hand, have plenty to fear. A scoliid wasp stings a grub to paralyze it, lays an egg on its surface, and provisions an underground cell with additional paralyzed grubs for its larva to eat as it matures. She then repeats this process, dooming additional grubs as live feed for her offspring in other chambers.

Your best chance to examine these attractive wasps is while they feed on nectar. They enjoy a wide variety of flowers, including white clover and mountain mint. They have lovely metallic blue wings and a pattern of yellow spots on the abdomen that varies with the species and gender. Their distinctively curved back is the origin of their scientific name think: scoliosis.

Scoliid wasps many common names, including flower wasps, scarab hunters, and scarab hawks, remind us of their multiple functions in our ecosystem and their extraordinary value for gardeners.


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