In the National Nature Park "Tuzlovskyi Limans" located in Odesa, an extraordinary insect has been spotted – the giant wasp (Megascolia maculata), which is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and Europe. This remarkable insect was recently photographed on rose flowers. This information was shared by Ivan Rusyev, a doctor of biological sciences, on his social media page.

Life and Behavior of the Giant Wasp

According to Rusyev, the giant wasp leads a dual lifestyle: in its larval stage, it acts as a parasite, while as an adult (imago), it becomes a phytophagist, feeding on plant matter. All scolias are diurnal creatures. They spend the night buried in the ground and emerge at sunrise to feed on flowering plants. Due to the lack of a long proboscis, they can only access nectar from flowers with shallow corollas, such as aster and umbrella plants.

Despite its intimidating appearance, this rare wasp poses little threat to humans. Its venom is much weaker than that of common wasps. The scolias use their venom not to defend nests but to paralyze the larvae of their hosts (such as rhinoceros beetles), where they lay their eggs. The egg overwinters in the soil and transforms into a pupa in spring.