Bald-faced hornet

ecooper

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
299


I haven't posted here for ages! For that matter I haven't done much photography for ages. I didn't lose interest, life just got a bit too busy.

But spring is here and its time to break out the camera gear and start shooting some bugs. In the meantime I've been going through my files and came accross this picture of a bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) that I shot last summer. I love the face on this beast...and the way these wasps rest with their front legs off the ground.

Cheers,
EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M5
Lens: Zuiko 60mm micro four thirds macro
Settings: manual exposure (F11 @ 1/160 sec)
Lighting: Olympus flash (I don't remember which one or the setting—oops!)
ISO: 200
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
Very cool pic! Didn't know they rested like that. It's an interesting behavior.
 

ecooper

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
299
Very cool pic! Didn't know they rested like that. It's an interesting behavior.
Amazing pic just love the details :)
Thanks very much! It is interesting the way they sit. A couple of time a year I'll put out some salmon to attract blow flies to photograph. Wasps always show up too--the yellow jackets start feeding on the salmon, but the bald-faced hornets seem mainly interested in catching flies (which they seem very bad at). That was how I photographed this critter. It was the day after I put out salmon and the fish was long gone. But the smell was still attracting flies, and the flies attracted this hornet.

So I wonder if they sit like this to keep their front legs free to grab prey?

Cheers,
EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com
 
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