"While some buy the nests, others harvest them straight from the source: outside and often very high in tree canopies. There’s only a short window of time to retrieve the nests responsibly. One must wait long enough after the first few frosts to ensure that a nest is empty, but act soon enough so that its paper-thin construction is not damaged by wind, rain or hungry birds."
#wasplove
Quite pleased with this shot of an Urosigalphus braconid wasp I got in central Austin today. I suspect the wasps are emerging from live oak acorns, having parasitized the grubs acorn weevils.
Not many live photos exist of this genus, it seems.
Malcolm Storey created and maintains https://www.bioimages.org.uk , a huge catalogue of high-resolution images of most animals that can be found in the British Isles, except for birds and other vertebrates.
Offers one of the most comprehensive catalogue of #Ichneumonidae images with special emphasis on macro photography to illustrate species-diagnostic features.
Malcolm has been identifying thousands of parasitoid wasps at #iNaturalist – that's how I found out. Thanks so much for all your work.
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/3839145
Tiny wasp walking on a spider's silky thread. Because why not? Not sticky at all.
Pteromalidae family.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/313864634
#iNaturalist #Hymenoptera #wasplove #entomology
A nest of Syneoca cyanea warrior wasps in Paraná, Brazil. Two things I love. Wasps. And Brazil.
Finally, on the trail, a fearsome, very large wasp, a Delta unguiculatum, busy stabbing and carrying a pillbug – presumably to stash away as food for its young.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309811924
And a rare one: a velvet ant, male, genus Dasylabris, also grooming – thankfully, otherwise, I'd never be able to snap photos of these most gorgeous wasps.
Males are harmless; their mission in life is to find a female, which are wingless, pick it up and mate in a nuptial flight, and gently carry it to an auspicious location where it will find many a prey to catch and stash away, paralized, to feed their young in an underground burrow.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309786828
Not far off, another formidable predator: a beewolf, Philanthus triangulum, grooming its wings:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309786456
... and a spectacular wasp, genus Meria, stretching about its very slender forms on the very same fennel flowers:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309786250
Lining the path there were many fennel plants in flower. Their little cute bright yellow cups are a favorite of many bees, wasps and flies. Here, a weevil wasp, Cerceris, sipping nectar:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309785511
Two wasps living the here and now. When the rains come and the snail becomes mobile again, they’ll figure it out somehow? Like building a house by the ocean beach and expecting it to last…
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/307947512
#iNaturalist #Hymenoptera #wasplove #entomology
Megastigmus pistaciae, a chalcid wasp. Small, kind of transparent, and with quite the ovipositor.
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/307723736
Pleasantly surprised at how well iNaturalist’s ID autosuggestion worked, to the genus, followed by a swift species ID refinement by a curator, despite there being only 19 observations total now.
#iNaturalist #Hymenoptera #wasplove #entomology
Mystery wasp. Possibly a crabronid, but frankly that’s a guess. Quite small, walking on dry needle leaves of white pine by the sea shore. And clasping its wings a bit like a spider wasp.
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/307497482
#Hymenoptera #iNaturalist #wasplove #entomology
Who could have said that a wasp grooming its face could be this pretty. A paper wasp, posing for the camera:
https://youtu.be/3vcCX9g1jqE
A wasp closing up its underground nest with stones, sand and debris: European golden digger wasp (Sphex funerarius) at work.
https://youtu.be/8EyyBHD6BlM
"Initially inspired by biomimicking an ovipositing wasp, the EDEN2020 system has been designed to have wide applications across minimally invasive neurosurgery including drug delivery, laser ablation, taking diagnostic readings of brain signals, and delivery of electrical stimulation."
"Here we present the first 3D animation of how it works and foreseeable applications."
A joystick-driven flexible catheter that can penetrate tissue gently, curving around blood vessels to deliver with precision drugs, electrical stimulation, or laser ablation. All inspired by a parasitoid wasp ovipositor.
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/231075/eden2020s-story-film/
Pleased to see entomology-driven research at work:
"Ferdinando Rodriguez y Baena, a professor in medical robotics at Imperial College London recently completed a 15-year Horizon-backed research project creating a cranial catheter inspired by a conversation he had with the renowned zoologist Julian Vincent about wasps’ ability to penetrate hard tree bark to lay eggs."
I també algunes vespes, entre elles, aquest "llop d'abelles" ("beewolf"), Philanthus triangulum. Literalment un depredador, es dedica a caçar abelles.
I quelcom que celebro: aquesta fou la meva entrada número 10,000 a la xarxa d'iNaturalist!
A favorite bug photo from last summer. Yes, it's a Polistes fuscatus wasp on goldenrod, but if you look long enough, you'll see another insect. (Indiana Dunes National Park)
European beewolf, Philanthus triangulum – spotted today grooming on a perch, together with @jni meters aware from the sea shore https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/301295377
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