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This solitary wasp (Eumenidae) builds
tubular nests consisting of a series of cells in which
the female lays a single egg. Each cell is stocked with
late stage caterpillars as food for the hatching wasp
larva. The caterpillars in each cell are often of only
one or two species, although this wasp collects larvae of
at least nine families. There have been exaggerated
reports of the value and importance of this wasp for
leafroller control. Research in Central Otago orchards
has shown across a range of locations that lightbrown
apple moth comprises only 1-4% of its prey. |