On a Saturday afternoon in early August I was reading a real newspaper, and I happened upon an article about the diversity of wasps.
I nearly choked on my avocado.
The article was outlining how significant wasps are in our world, as controllers of other invertebrates that, in over abundance, would create a damaging imbalance in our farming- and eco-systems.
We should worry about the lack of wasps this summer, the article said. Helena Horton would probably enjoy this blog, to be honest!
As you may have noticed, there are very few images in this post. There’s a reason for that, which I’ll get to. After reading the article I went to put the washing on the line. With a cursory glance at the fennel in the flowerbed I noticed that one of my favourite wasps was visiting.
The javelin wasp (Gasteruption jaculator).
I skipped indoors, grabbed my camera with macro lens and began following the wasp around the fennel flowers. I didn’t get anything worth sharing, until the wasp was spooked and dropped down to cover in some grasses. As you can see above, it then began to clean pollen from its face and antennae. I fired off some pics and then checked them. They were super sharp and beautifully lit by the soft light from the clouds overhead.
There are only two pictures, almost identical but for their crop, because they represent the wasp in the best way I can. Clear, in focus, and sharp.
I have written several times about these ichneumon wasps and their seeding of eggs in live caterpillar hosts. It’s grizzly, but it’s not done out of cruelty.
The insect season is drawing to a close and it’s been a poor one. Hopefully absence may make the heart grow fonder, and action taken at scale to ensure these pollinators, not just honeybees, can be protected.
Thanks for reading.
Unlocking Landscapes 
I’m just reading Tim Blackburn’s ‘The Jewel Box’ – an interesting read, I like the way he weaves key ecological concepts into the stories of the individual moth species. One thing (amongst many) that I didn’t know was that it’s estimated that wasps, particularly parasitoid wasps, might be a group with the most species of any insect, even outnumbering beetles – many butterfly and moths have wasps that only prey on their particular species. I seem to remember that Jennifer Owen, who studied the wildlife in her own garden for 27 years, discovered a number of parasitoid wasps that were new to science, which just goes to show how little we know of the insect world.
And those are stunning photos! I love javelin wasps. I just wish that people didn’t think that the ovipositor was a sting.
Thank you that is very interesting. Ichneumons are one of my favourite species groups, probably because there is that level of depth and mystery! And thank you, I was happy with the level of detail that came through with the photo.
In this case it’s the quality of image not quantity! Great shot.
Thank you! 👍🏻