Gorytes laticinctus – This was another one of those odd encounters in the garden. I spotted this bright striped wasp, which is the rarest of its genus in the UK, walking in circles, going under and over and between leaves of a plant, almost like it was looking for something. Even when I shoved my big macros lens virtually in its face it did not deviate from its intent. In fact it had spent most of the day there, and the day after. It appeared to be focused on one particular leaf. This is a male. The females gather up bugs like froghoppers to feed its young.
Double-click images for a closer look.
For further interest visit the Wasps page.
Really nice close-ups! It is rather rare i Sweden too, about 300 reports in all time.
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Thank you, Hans! So very valuable species there, too.
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These photographs are fantastic to see!
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Many thanks, Anne! It would normally be impossible to get this close to one, but this fellow didn’t appear to mind at all.
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Excellent details in this wasp macro!
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Thank you, Indira!
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Interesting behavior and nice captures of the wasp, Peter.
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Thank you, Ellen 🙂
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Curious behavior! I wonder what it was doing?
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I wish I new myself! For a wasp, it was pretty, docile, too.
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I have to wonder if he was following a pheromone trail, hoping to find her if he persevered long enough in his quest. Quite the handsome fellow, and fortunate for you to have the chance for such a rare encounter!
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You could well be right there, Gary. I do count myself most fortunate that he dropped by and stayed a while 🙂
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I like wasps. We have them at our barn. They love the double skin of our workshop. They enter via fallen out knots. They come, they have buzzy fits sometimes and then the new family leave. It’s another reminder of a year passing and we like them.
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That is so lovely to know, Judi 🙂 I enjoy watching them drinking in the pond, or when they scrape the fence panels to make wood pulp for their nests.
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My beam above my studio window has been chewed. Huge old nest in the gap. Want to keep its grooves as a reminder. I also have an old piece of barn that some wasps have made a nest behind. Live and let live I say.
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What a wonderful opportunity to get these great macro shots! I usually have to use my sport setting because they won’t pose. 👍🏻
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I was very lucky he appeared to be so docile, and between his searching he would pause to kindly give me a chance to get these shots in 🙂
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Great macros … sounds like he was particularly busy
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Thank you, Julie 🙂 I just hope he found what he was looking for eventually.
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I particularly like the head on photo. 😊
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Thank you, Belinda 🙂
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