European Paper Wasp Queen
Some of you may have noticed that I’ve run a lot of pictures from Jeremiah Fargo lately. There’s a very good reason for you to notice this. It’s because I’ve been running a lot of pictures from Jeremiah Fargo lately.
This is our good friend¹ Polistes dominulus, the European Paper Wasp. This is a queen tending her first brood of the year. You can see the eggs have changed to a milky color compared to the eggs I photographed a few days ago. It also looks like she’s provided some nectar or other form of nutrient goo for the larvae when they hatch. Hey, she may not be a great neighbor, but at least she’s a decent mom.
Thanks, Jer!
¹ If by “good” you understand me to mean “not so great, actually”
Slowly getting the site back onto an even keel. It's nice to get back into the old posting rhythm.
Brian L. said,
June 19, 2008 @ 8:22 am
Great pic!
We never seem to find nests until they are the size of a basketball… And then we have to get rid of them because my mom is allergic. Such a pity…
A question: is “compared to the eggs I photographed a few days ago” supposed to be italics? Logic is telling me that should be a link instead, but then again logic has lied to me before…
JFargo said,
June 19, 2008 @ 8:31 am
Thanks Brian! This nest was really easy to find because it was sitting in the corner of my parent’s open porch. They usually spray when the wasps start to get bothersome because my sister is allergic to them.
I tested out the theory proposed by David, that since the nest wasn’t actually established yet that the Queen would flee rather than sting, and it turns out that he was correct! I approached until I got an aggressive display from her (which unfortunately I don’t think I captured on film well enough to share) and then I came just a little bit closer. Instead of leaping out to attack me, she kept retreating farther back into hiding. Thankfully.
JTan said,
June 19, 2008 @ 9:01 am
Brave man, that.
JFargo said,
June 19, 2008 @ 11:36 am
In other news, any ID on those two little bugs at the bottom of the picture? I didn’t even notice them until now.
David Brady said,
June 19, 2008 @ 12:22 pm
Brian–good spot on the italics. I thought for sure I had linked that. Probably a WordPress glitch or, more likely, me being distracted. (Especially given that I posted a duplicate image yesterday and didn’t even realize it!)
tceisele said,
June 19, 2008 @ 12:36 pm
Well, they look like some sort of beetle (he says unhelpfully).
Sticking my neck out here, they might be some kind of dermestid beetles, they are about that size. Or possibly fungus beetles.
In my little project to document all the arthropods on my property, I’m thinking its about time to do the “square foot of lawn” thing: mark off a square foot of random lawn, and try to catch all the tiny little arthropods that I find on it. I’m thinking it will probably be at least a hundred, if I really try to be thorough.
JFargo said,
June 19, 2008 @ 1:01 pm
That’s a lot of bugs in one square foot, tceisele! I might get that many in my garden per square foot, but either these poor old eyes of mine are going at 28, or I just don’t have anywhere near as many bugs as you!
Also, I was figuring some kind of beetle too. The picture’s not so clear, so it’s no surprise if nobody can ID them. Just thought I’d ask.
David Brady said,
June 19, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
JFargo: I’ll wager you just haven’t tried it.
I thought there were zero active bugs in my lawn during Winter, and come to find out that a square foot of lawn under the snow typically has one or two bugs in it even when it’s 10 below.
I’m thinking there’s probably only a dozen or two bugs in my garden as well, but something tells me if we just go look and see what’s there, we’ll be astounded.
And maybe a little creeped out.
Heh, now I totally wanna go do it.
tceisele said,
June 20, 2008 @ 3:00 am
Of course, I should probably mention that, when I say I’m expecting on the order of 100 bugs per square foot, this is including things that are barely visible to the naked eye, like tiny little beetles and springtails. You don’t normally see those at all unless you are seriously looking for them.
JFargo said,
June 20, 2008 @ 6:05 am
I think I’ll have to go sit quietly in my lawn some time and just look. I do live next to some woods, so there are lots of bugs out here. I’d probably be surprised at how many I find.
Are you including things that just happen to fly through the square while you’re looking, or only if they land?
wright said,
June 21, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
“Are you including things that just happen to fly through the square while you’re looking, or only if they land?”
JFargo, that is just such a beautiful question, in that it’s one that a child might ask while playing a game new to them: does this count?? Please take that as a compliment!
But it’s also a valid one. I’d be inclined to ignore any fliers/hoppers that didn’t land. If they touch down in the square, it would seem to me they count. Even if they immediately move on, they have (however briefly) been part of where you are taking your census.