An aphid wasp gets lucky

20 June 18: I've been watching aphid wasp [Pemphredon (?)] nests in an old rotting log off and on for the last few days. There is one particular entrance which nearly always has a male (at least I think it's a male) standing nearby. He stands there waving his antennae, staring at the tunnel entrance. Occasionally another (male?) wasp comes by and, after a brief altercation, he (or the other male) returns to stand watch above the hole. This series of events continued, as long as the weather permitted, for the last few days.
But yesterday the watching male got lucky. Finally one (a female, I assume) came out and the waiting wasp immediately pounced on it, with both tumbling to the ground, mating for a minute or two.

20 June 18: The nest site was even more active today, with several males hangin around fighting to be the one waiting at the hole entrance. By the late afternoon, there was less activity. I suspect all the wasps in the nest had emerged. I saw one (female?) enter the nest. I suspect the nest is being re-used by a new female.

21 June 18: Guess I was wrong about the nest being emptied. I went out around noon after the morning rain stopped to check on the Pemphredon nest. As soon as I arrived a male was watching the hole and a female was emerging. When the female came out, the male pounced on her. They remained attached for several minutes until the male flew off with the female under him, landing on my leg. Got lots of good pictures this time. Sent to BugGuide and IDed as Pempredon.

由使用者 swells 在 2018年07月05日 16:31 所貼文