Wasps – Canned Wildlife

Realised Recently

Sep 16, 2015Mar 17, 2016Posted in BBC, Encounters, Insects, Literature, Local, NestTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, BBC Wildlife, Birmingham, Cuckoo, Insects, Invertebrates, Nature, Nest, Solitary Wasp, WaspsLeave a comment

I had a realisation recently, regarding the invertebrates I blogged about back in June… I’ll bee honest 😉 I didn’t think about what the Ruby-tailed Wasp may have been up to, but I was reminded in the September Issue of BBC Wildlife magazine – that they’re a kind of Cuckoo! This jewel-like wasp, happened to be close to where the Mason Wasp was coming and going from!

I only have this poor photo of these amazing Apocrita:

These weeny wasps (with metallic blue/turquoise tops and ruby red bottoms) lay their eggs in the nests of other Solitary Wasps, like the Mason Wasp!

When lava of the Ruby-tailed Wasp hatches, it eats the egg or grub of the host’s nest – which makes these sort of Wasps parasitoid (because they don’t live inside the host, they kill them instead). September’s issue of BBC Wildlife also features “7 WAYS TO SAVE SOLITARY BEES”.

Thanks 🙂

Day 11 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 12, 2015Sep 16, 2015Posted in Challenge, Environmental, Insects, Local, NestTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Environment, Insects, Nest, Random Acts of Wildness, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Wasps1 Comment

There’s the suggestion to “Follow a bee”, but to cut a long story short; I watched a few insects (no Bees today) after work. What first caught my eye was a wee blue flying one! A Ruby-tailed Wasp to be exact 🙂

Apologies for the poor images (phone snaps again).

The fly that caught my eye — Ruby-tailed Wasp – blue top and red bottom

Something larger caught my eye and disappeared down the back of the shed door, a Mason Wasp! Which I watched for a short while.

image-11-06-15-09-54 — Flies followed it back to the shed, and sat outside

Something landed on my hand and startled me! After all, I was Wasp-watching. I shook it off and it flew on to the shed door, which seems a popular place for flying insects.

image-11-06-15-09-54-2 — It was a Damselfly! It was brown in colour

A couple clips of the Mason Wasp:

Thanks 🙂