Friday, August 17, 2012

BAD IN BLUE


While poking along the weedy banks of small, shallow lake where I like to stalk dragonflies, I saw this rather large wasp nectaring on a cluster of milkweed blooms. What caught my eye, of course, were the shiny, midnight-blue wings, which sparkled in the afternoon sunlight like the chromed front-end trim on my father's 1956 Olds '98. 

Though it superficially resembled the blackish-blue mud daubers of my youth, which used to build their cylindrical pottery-like nest tubes along the tops of the basement windows, this wasp was noticeably larger. Which I suppose some, to whom the size of such things matters, might interpret as bigger-equals-badder, and thus view such a winged beast as exponentially more frightening.

I just thought it was striking and made a portrait. Back home, I tentatively keyed the critter down as being a great black wasp, Sphex pensyvanicus, also known as a katydid hunter.  

Members of the digger wasp clan, they construct a burrow-like nest hole in the ground. Eggs are laid in this tunnel. The great black wasps then goes about hunting down and stinging such things as kaytdids and grasshoppers. Toxins in their sting paralyze rather than kill their prey. These still-living victims are then carried into the nursery as food-in-waiting for when their larvae young hatch. Kinda like putting away a stock of home-canned goods for the family. 

And when they're not out looking to zap and immobilize future meals for the kids, adult great black wasps like to dine on nectar and pollen. Which explains what it was doing on the milkweed…nothing like a bit of dessert after the hunt.  

8 comments:

Jayne said...

Just gorgeous, that guy! Love that you can really see the blue in those wings. Great shot Grizz!

Grizz………… said...

Jayne…

It was that incredible electric blue color that caught my eye—and, of course, makes the shot. Bees and wasps often seem to have these wild colors—sometimes on their bodies, occasionally on the wings. I really don't know much at all about most insects (except for those eaten by trout) but the more I look…and see…the more I'm amazed. It's fun trying to capture images to share.

Rowan said...

He's rather handsome but I'd never have picked him as a wasp. To me wasps are black and yellow striped things:) Hope you are doing well and enjoying life.

Scott said...

Boy, our milkweed finished flowering weeks ago! In fact, some of the seed pods are already splitting open.

Grizz………… said...

Rowan…

Growing up, I guess I thought all bees wore alternating bands of yellow and black—though I did know that besides stripes, wasps additionally came in black or reddish-brown. But once I really began to get into the various Hymenoptera, I found they're practically every color of the rainbow, singly or in combination and pattern. I especially like a few of the little sweat bees which appear to be sheathed in metallic chrome—either bright yellow-gold or an incredible green. I thought I'd posted a pix of one of a metallic green sweat bee last year, but in looking to add a link, I can't find it so maybe I didn't. Maybe a future post?

BTW, thank you for asking…I am doing well, providing I discount creeping age and too many decades of bodily abuse. Giving that, however, I'm good—and certainly enjoying my days now that things have finally cooled off a bit and we've had some rain which greened things back up. Hope you're having a nice summer, too. Oh, I should tell you I'm on my last jar of your mincemeat recipe. Won't be long before it's time to do a fresh supply.

Grizz………… said...

Scott…

Around here, this spring and summer have been so messed up weather-wise that all sorts of things are out of whack. I was poking around an old field just up the road yesterday and saw both bergamot and milkweed in bloom. But I don't recall seeing any milkweed pods anywhere I've rambled lately that were to the point of splitting, though I might simply have missed them. We certainly had plenty of milkweed in full bloom at least a month and a half ago if not earlier.

KGMom said...

Nature is just flat-out amazing. All the mechanisms that have developed.
One insect's meal is another one's demise.

Grizz………… said...

KGMom…

Yup, and the more I see and learn, the more amazed I am.