The sky would soon be dark but the crepuscular rays that penetrated through the gaps in the tree canopy still left a little space for light in the afternoon. I was still in the forest and didn't want to go home before capturing a beautiful moment I had never seen before.

I noticed a squad of scolia wasps (family Scoliidae) perched on a bush plant. I guess it was a barracks where they gathered every afternoon. They might be taking some time to relax. But that doesn't mean they are less vigilant.

Scolia wasps are stinging insects. They hide a venomous sting "needle" in their tail. It's enough to make you wince for hours if you get stung by them. Luckily I don't count as their enemy. So I had a little freedom to capture their images.

What cute creatures; but sometimes they turn into scary little monsters.

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^{This is another entry I submitted for the daily #monomad challenge.}

^{These photos are my own, taken with POCO X3 NFC smartphone + external macro lens.}