When I was about 12 one day I was sitting in a tree reading a book. (Yeah, I actually did that). And I hear this buzzing sound. So I look around and see a wasp with a cicadia held by a couple of its feet making its way up the trunk of the tree by flapping its wings like crazy and walking on the tree with a couple or so of its remaining legs. I look at this wasp carrying this dead cicadia that is at least three times its mass and marvel at its ingenuity. And wonder......why is it dragging this cicadia up into the tree.

So it climbs right up past me and when it is maybe twelve feet above the ground it lets go of the tree trunk and takes off flying.....pretty much straight for the ground.... and just as it is maybe two feet off the ground it levels off, as if once it got up to a certain speed it could carry the big bug but, you know, it needed the boost to get it up to that speed so it climbed the tree.

Ever since I wonder what type of intelligence an insect has to be able to figure out how high to climb?

True story.

Every time I think of it I marvel.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.