Ms_Voren: Wasps

In the Summer holidays I stayed with my family in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. It is usually very hot and dry at this time of year. This year, it seemed the perfect weather for wasps.

My sister's herb garden swarmed with five different types of wasp. I'm still seeking IDs for these and will update the post when I have them.

1.

2. Large Black

3. Medium black and orange

4. Black, striped

5. Thread-waisted wasp

All of the five types of wasp pictured above were seen on the seed heads of parsley in a garden little bigger than a metre square.

Other wasps that I've photographed in various locations are posted below.

FLOWER WASPS

Native Yellow Flower Wasp - Thynnus zonatus

The female flower wasp has no wings.

The following video shows the flightless female and the winged male, mating:

Blue Flower Wasp - Wolli Valley

Blue ants are the name of the flightless female partners of these flower wasps.

Also possessing bright blue wings is the Orange Thorax Spider Wasp. This one was photographed on Nannygoat Hill, in the Wolli Valley.

Another wasp photographed on Nannygoat Hill:

MUD-DAUBERS
The following photo is of a Mud-dauber wasp. We grew up calling them "hornets" but this is also a kind of wasp.

By far my favourite, though, is the Cuckoo Wasp. I'm afraid these photos do not do justice to the irridescent blue-green exterior of this beautiful creature. Cuckoo wasps lay their eggs in the nest of another wasp.