Ovipositor Collection

Blowfly laying eggs, SEM
Blowfly laying eggs. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a female Lucilia sp. blowfly laying her eggs (lower left). A blowfly lays its eggs on dead bodies

Looking for prey
Jimmy Hoffman

Picture No. 12010245
Short Winged Conehead - Female with Ovipositor - Cornwall - UK Date:

Female parasitic wasp
A female parasitic wasp inspecting an oak apple which she will pierce with her ovipositor to lay her eggs

Picture No. 11675415
Oak Bush Cricket female UK. Date:

Picture No. 11675414
Oak Bush Cricket female close up of ovipositor. Date:

Ovipositor of Gadfly

Ovipositor of Saw-Fly

Picture No. 10896370
Wood Cricket - Female with its ovipositor (Nemobius sylvestris) Date:

Jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata), close-up on ovipositor

Wood Wasp using ovipositor to deposit eggs in bark

Larvae of Solomons Seal Sawfly
A leaf of Solomons Seal ( Polygonatum x hybridum ) infested with larvae of the Solomons Seal sawfly, Phymatocera aterrima

Female parasitic Commander Wasp - Ichneumon - seeking out prey and laying eggs. North California
ROG-14348 Female parasitic Commander Wasp - Ichneumon - seeking out prey and laying eggs. North California. Dolichomitus imperator Bob Gibbons contact details: prints@ardea.com tel

Commander Ichneumon (Dolichomitus imperator) adult female, seeking out prey and laying eggs, Northern California, U.S.A. july

Sting of a honeybee embedded in a human finger
Bee sting. View of a honeybee sting embedded in the skin of a human finger. At centre, the sting is seen, carrying with it nerve and muscle tissue that work to pump poison (peptides) into the finger

Honeybee stinging a finger
Bee sting. View of a honeybee Apis mellifera in the process of stinging a human finger. At lower centre, the sting has embedded in skin

Wasp sting, SEM
Wasp sting. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the sting of a tropical wasp. The sting is a modification of the female ovipositor, or egg-laying organ

False colour SEM of a bee sting
Bee sting. Coloured scanning electron micrograph of the posterior end of a honeybee Apis mellifera showing the bees sting (needlelike)

Female emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) laying eggs into a decaying iris leaf. Using its spur- shaped ovipositor, eggs are laid in plant tissue to give them protection form predation

A parasitic wasp (fam. Braconidae), female inserting long ovipositor inside a rainforest log in which her beetle larvae
AUS-438 A parasitic wasp (fam. Braconidae), female inserting long ovipositor inside a rainforest log in which her beetle larvae prey are feeding Australia Densey Clyne / Auscape / ardea.com Auscape

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

The ovipositor, a fascinating reproductive organ found in many insects, plays a crucial role in the continuation of their species. One such example is the blowfly, as depicted in Picture No. 12010245 from The Pictorial Museum of Animated Nature (engraving). This microscopic marvel allows female blowflies to lay their eggs with precision and efficiency. Equipped with an ovipositor that can be seen under scanning electron microscopy (SEM), these flies search for suitable locations to deposit their eggs. As they hover over decaying matter or open wounds, the ovipositor extends and delicately places each egg where it will thrive. But it's not just blowflies that possess this remarkable adaptation; other insects like parasitic wasps also rely on their ovipositors for survival. In Picture No. 11675415 and Picture No. 11675414, we witness the intricate structure of a female parasitic wasp's ovipositor as she prepares to inject her eggs into unsuspecting hosts. Nature never ceases to amaze us with its diversity, even when it comes to ovipositors. Take a look at Picture No. 10896370 showcasing the elongated and needle-like ovipositor of a gadfly or explore the serrated edges of a saw-fly's ovipositor in another engraving from The Pictorial Museum of Animated Nature. Not limited to just functional purposes, some species have evolved extravagant adaptations within their ovipositors too. A close-up shot on Heteropteryx dilatata, commonly known as jungle nymphs, reveals an astonishingly long and slender appendage used for laying eggs deep within tree bark or soil crevices. Whether you're observing blowflies meticulously placing their eggs or admiring the diverse forms of insectovipositers through engravings and photographs – one thing is clear.