Megascolia maculata (also called Scolia maculata) is the largest European solitary wasp. This splendid female Megascolia maculata maculata was about 45mm in body length. I found it in the mountains where it had landed on a bush of Astragalus angustifolius.
It doesn't seem to be a very rare insect but I had never seen one close-up before.
Females will find, paralyze with their sting and then lay their eggs in larvae of large beetles (such as dung beetle and rhinoceros beetle). Upon hatching the wasp larvae will then feed on the paralyzed grub.
