Insects of Richmond

 I realize I haven't done any posts on Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, crickets, katydids) yet. Well, Yesterday I found a nice one. It is a Neoconocephalus triops, also known as a Broad-tipped Conehead. The creature:   Found this creature on a walkway, one without many food items, and a lot of pesticides. It has somehow made it, and I'm keeping it as a pet. I've Provided it with a large mesh container, some bread (for food) and some paper towels for catching droppings. The individual is a female, as shown by the prescence of an ovipositor. Note to reader: You do NOT  want to get bit by one of these. See those jaws? Those things closed on my skin once. 

 As I write more posts for this blog, I'm not going to have images that I took for some of them. I don't actually have a portable camera, so I can't take wild pics. If I use someone else's photo, photo credit will be listed, and permission asked. If it is a stock photo, the website (and the user) will be credited.  Onward. The insect I wanted to highlight today is a species of spider wasp (I study these, so there'll be more posts in the future). The species is common here in Richmond, VA. The scientific name is Auplopus architectus. This spider wasp does not have a common name, so it will be referred to as " A. architectus " for the remainder of the post. The wasp:  These wasps are among the smallest spider wasps in VA, and some of the most beautiful. They mainly hunt smaller orb weavers, and small wolf spiders. The nests are made in cavities, holes, pipes, etc. The female wasps gather up balls of mud, and form them into nests. These nests occur in cavitie...