These last few days I have watched as jet-black, 1 and 1/4 inch Great Black Wasps (Sphex pensylvanicus) have been depositing dead or paralysed Praying Mantis into the skimmer box of my pool. So far, they have put more than a dozen mantis in the skimmer, entering by small holes in the lid. Has anyone heard of such a thing before? These wasps usually capture grasshoppers and crickets, sting them, and then lay eggs on the body to feed their larvae.
Location: Ennismore
Observer: Ed Hutchison
