One Lovely Lady by Chipka
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Description
Though the USA boasts three native species of yellow jacket, it’s actually the German Wasp that gives all yellow jackets their reputation. All yellow jackets are known for their aggression, but the German Wasp will actually “mark” offenders, pursue them in a stinging horde, and stop only when they get tired--or bored. Eastern and Southern yellow jackets aren’t commonly in the habit of marking those who’ve angered them, and bald faced hornets (true yellow jackets) are often mistaken for a different species all together, as they wear a nice, creamy ivory rather than flashy yellow; because of this natural sartorial difference, they aren’t blamed very much for any sort of yellow jacket behavior, though their hornet misnomer is enough to inspire rather vigorous cringes among those who don’t fall into the habit of having tea with wasps. (I’ve learned that I’m not actually in the habit of voluntarily enjoying tea with wasps; they invite themselves, and they’re so persistent that I just give up and share. They’re charming, after all, and rather cute, and so I can’t resist them. I suppose I would invite them, and I often leave offerings…but they’re a bit preemptive and so you never get the chance to offer anything to them as they just buzz around as if to say: well…since you’re not drinking [or eating] that quickly enough, we’ll just help ourselves!)
Though German Wasps are a rather pronounced presence in the Midwestern USA, I’m actually more familiar with the Eastern Yellow Jacket. They’re urban-adapted, and discernable by their building habits. They construct nests in the colors of charred paper, and they don’t build curtains, as other wasps are known to do. They’re the exhibitionists of the yellow jacket family, and rather amusing when they’ve determined you’re not a threat and aren’t very tasty. They’re even more amusing when they’ve determined that you’re a rather nice perch. Like gentle cicadas, they love to perch (usually on the back of your hand) just waiting until you reach for your can of Arizona brand iced tea so that they can stroll (at a leisurely pace) from your finger to the open mouth of the can…or the bottle: no flight involved. They’ll accept Arizona brand tea easily enough, though the more discriminating yellow jackets will only go for Snapple brand peach tea. (Yes, some yellow jackets are incredible tea snobs.) Lipton seems to rank rather low on the yellow jacket taste-test charts, but it’s still something they’ll accept, if it smells fruity enough, and if those pesky western yellow jackets consumed up all of the good stuff.
On the day that I saw this lovely lady, I was moving dental equipment: a heavy, heavy chair, an x-ray unit, and a few odds and ends, including a monstrously heavy instrument sterilizer. As we finished schlepping everything up a narrow and bendy flight of stairs, I took a short tea break, and noticed a small nest glued to the underside of a railing. As I am in the habit of taking my camera with me, everywhere I took the opportunity to nab a few photographs. The nest (at eye level) was young: only a queen and a few daughter-workers, and so there really wasn’t too much to see. Most of the workers were tucked away in the upper reaches of the nest, probably feeding larvae, but this particular little lady seemed to have guard duty. She noticed me, deemed me non-threatening and far less interesting than the activity near a particular moving truck. As she focused on my co-workers, I focused on her…and well…I managed this shot.
As a parting gift, I left a rather generous dollop of tea not far from the nest. I'm sure this little lady and her compatriots noticed it immediately.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you're all having a great week.
Comments (28)
MOSKETON
muchas gracias, me encanta esta imagen es perfecta.
starfire777
Excellent close-up shot!!! I've got plenty of Yellow Jackets living near my home.
NefariousDrO
Impressive shot, I've had too many bad encounters with members of this type of family (from the sounds of things, probably the German Wasp members) so I try to steer a wide berth when I notice any of them about. They do look gorgeous, though.
MrsRatbag
What a wonderful portrait of this flyer; I know you love them, but I hope never to see one this close in real life!
lucindawind
ouchhhhhh!! nasty bites from these boys!! excellent capture !
jocko500
these as bad for sure. I had a nest build on my pouch one day i it was a big one. I wonder at it as how fast it got build. I could not go out side and if someone came to see me they would have been string for sure. I got some rail roach spay for that all i had. I open the screen and spay the nest and closed the screen door fast. They all came at me and hit the screen door trying to get at me. i watch in sadden as one by one the fall dead. I felt bad but could not think of any other way to do it. wonderful shot
danapommet
Awesome macro capture Chip and stellar detail and clarity. I guess that I am going to have to be more brand sensitive with my next ice tea purchases. Super info as always. Dana
auntietk
I'm glad to hear you paid the model! :) The shape of her head reminds me of the Than on GR's Andromeda. Excellent macro shot!
MagikUnicorn
SUPER MACRO SHOT PAL
aksirp
great macro, beautiful picture!!!
beachzz
You get the MOST amazing shots of these little critters!!!
whaleman
Great shot Chip! Reminded me of my apple tree two summers ago. They seem unable to bite through the skin of a healthy apple, but that year we had a aplash of hail which left most apples with tiny soft spots which the wasps exploited. I knew nothing of this until I went to pick one nice specimen and found it to be hollow and still harboring a wasp inside. Through one tiny hole they had completely excavated the flesh of the apple, leaving only the core and skin. They did this so well you could not tell without touching the apple. So the wasps took my entire crop that year. I have no idea why I did not take even one photo. I might have been a bit angry because I was planning to use all the apples that year.
blinkings
Look at those beautiful little antenna. Great shot Chip.
helanker
WOW! That is the most perfect wasp shot, I have seen. A really master shot and your information and story behind it was awesome. I dont think I will look at wasps the same way ever more :-)
lick.a.witch
Wow Chip, this is stunning! She's a real beauty and it's a fabulous image of her. I find it dreadfully sad that many folk panic at the mere mention of the word 'wasp'. They are terrifically important insects for us, being just as important pollinators as bees, while also ridding us of nuisance insects. Amazing image! So pleased you thanked her with a drink. ^=^
Ilona-Krijgsman
what a great shot.....excellent done...I am not a fan of them but I really like the patterns in a wasp...and I hate if they sting me....I have some nice once on my personal website...very close as well
icerian
Excellent close-up, my friend. It is not usual in your case to make such photos. 5+
durleybeachbum
A cuppa is a small price to pay for a modelling session! Most interesting to learn about the different sorts you have there, and a superb macro.
flavia49
excellent macro and info!
-seek-
i like it man! Great shooting
sandra46
super cool macro! and i didn't know so many things about yellow jackets! my knowledge about insects (as well as other animals) is laughable! I'm a perfect urbanite, and as such I can sort out the elephants from the grasshoppers, especially because the former are gray and the latter are green...
kgb224
Outstanding capture my friend.
Meisiekind
I am allergic to these critters so I always try to stay clear! However, I do appreciate their beauty when someone else has taken the shot!!! Wonderful Chip and I love that she is hanging upside down!
mariogiannecchini
Splendid photo !
minos_6
Beautifully clear capture, and the colours are striking! I'm always impressed not only by your knowledge of various members of the insect world, but also that they always seem to pose for you so beautifully. Marvelous shot!
elfin14doaks
Look Chipka a wasp!!!!!! oh wait you know that LOL. Great shot.
Alex_Antonov
Excellent!
Bothellite
I think that you will be rewarded for your kindness... I can't help but believe that. I never, almost never, killed nests in our orchard because they are so important as beneficials/predators. We were almost organic and used no synthetics on pest insects. It's amazing, as you know so well, how much work these ladies do. They returned my kindness with no stings and just a couple of warning shots bounced off my hair -- "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there". I would retreat and mark the spot for future reference. Wonderful read, as always.