This morning Wasp
May 20, 2013 19:54:01 #
This morning i was having my coffee on the deck and saw this small wasp circling around, and after a bit it lit by a hole in the deck that had the screw set deeper than the rest. It left the area, then in a few minutes it returned and lit back in same place, then backed into hole and sat there a while, then it flew off. I got up and looked and saw what was maybe an egg. I then got my camera with a macro lens and took a picture. The egg was maybe 1 mm. In a little while she returned will a worm of some type and placed in the hole with egg. I then set up my camera on a tripod with a remote cord hoping to get pictures of each thing she was doing. But before she returned, the hole had a few visitors.
The egg after she left
returning with first caterpillar
egg and one caterpillar
She added second caterpillar, then a visitor appeared
the ant left then the fly arrived
then the fly left and fire ants arrived and help them selves
May 20, 2013 20:02:31 #
May 20, 2013 20:23:39 #
thank you JRB 1213 Took all morning . To think of all we do to get these macro pictures
May 20, 2013 21:25:13 #
May 20, 2013 21:44:41 #
The wasp never returned and the fire ants carried away the egg and caterpillars.
At first I started to kill the fire ants by mashing then decided to let nature take it's course.
At first I started to kill the fire ants by mashing then decided to let nature take it's course.
May 21, 2013 11:11:01 #
Isn't this interesting? It's as if she laid her egg and left it with some food to fend for itself. Maybe she does this a lot. Maybe the odds are really good if she has enough eggs. Nature is so fascinating! Great series of photos. Tells a story. Are these "Macro"?
May 21, 2013 11:14:50 #
May 21, 2013 13:16:34 #
well done!!!!! this morning i was watching a wasp eating a beetle and i was thinking how cruel nature is.
May 21, 2013 14:48:50 #
riverlass wrote:
All are life-size or larger, except for image #2, which provides reference scale for other images.Are these "Macro"?
May 21, 2013 17:14:50 #
Nikonian72 wrote:
Thank you. I'm working on this. I just received the Nikon 105mm, one of the lenses that you recommended instead of what I was using (35mm). What a difference! Now I need to practice and learn.All are life-size or larger, except for image #2, which provides reference scale for other images.
May 21, 2013 17:50:55 #
Yes number 2 is not life size as this wasp would not let me get close so had to back off to get a shot of what it was.
May 21, 2013 18:00:53 #
A follow up of this wasp story. This morning I went out again and looked at the place all this was happening and to my surprise the hole was sealed over with what ever the material is that they use to seal. I watch all this happening until about mid afternoon yesterday when the fire ants moved in. The last time i looked they had taken the egg and were trying to get the worms out of the hole. So maybe the wasp came back and layed another egg and more worms or maybe the ants couldn't get the worms out and the wasp didn't know egg was gone and just sealed it over.
May 21, 2013 18:21:01 #
May 21, 2013 18:30:35 #
jdeanb wrote:
I wondered about that! Not exactly a safe place to seal-up an egg, Can you please attach a follow-up photo of the sealed hole?This morning I went out again and looked at the place all this was happening and to my surprise the hole was sealed over with what ever the material is that they use to seal.
May 21, 2013 21:42:20 #
Nikonian72 wrote:
I wondered about that! Not exactly a safe place to seal-up an egg, Can you please attach a follow-up photo of the sealed hole?
The deck is a man made material but don't recall the trade name but as you see is a grey color. Don't know what the material the wasp used to fill the hole but from a distance it blends well even to point of texture and also has a camo effect. Nature never quits amazing me and I am 77 years old and have seen a lot. Another thing we had 9 tenths of rain today and it really came down but looked at the fill and still looks same so must be water proof.
Hole sealed by wasp shown on 5 -20
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