Buried Alive - #Arachtober 31
I watched this horrifying scene unfold in a flower pot at a state park.

This Wetland Giant Wolf Spider (Tigrosa helluo) is not dead, only paralyzed by the sting of its hunter, a Rusty Spider Wasp (Tachypompilus ferrugineus).

The wasp is dragging the spider to its grave. There, it will be entombed alive, a living meal for the single wasp larva that will hatch on its body. It will be slowly eaten alive from the inside, in the dark, for weeks.

#spider #wasp #insect #macro #macrophotography #naturephotography