Cuckoo Wasp

[Rense Haveman]

I made a 'bee hotel' from some wood blocks and hollow shoots from plants and bamboo. Since we have had nice weather last weeks, there are several bees and wasps visiting the hotel, and laying their eggs in the hollows... Some of them are parasited by these colourful cuckoo wasp (Chrysis ignita).



Cuckoo wasp by Rense Haveman, on Flickr





Cuckoo wasp by Rense Haveman, on Flickr





Cuckoo wasp by Rense Haveman, on Flickr

 

[Glenn Clabo]

That's one blinged up wasp there Rense. Excellent close ups.

 

[Pete Askew]

Lovely stuff again Rense. Do I recall your posting a shot of this species once before?

 

[Rense Haveman]

Thanks Glenn!

Pete, I never had the chance to make photos of this species, so I can't imagine I posted a photo of it before...
And thank you! Probably will take up the macro hobby again.....

 

[Pete Askew]

http://www.realphotographersforum.com/forum/threads/cuckoo-wasp.5486/

 

[Rense Haveman]

Your memory is ..... elephantish.....

However, the older one proved to be no Chrysididae (let alone a Chrysis), but a Chalcidoid wasp, probably Seladerma simplex. It was only found once before in the NL, but that is probably because nobody studies Chalcidoids..... As you can see the new one has a red abdomen, and not a blue one! And the Seladerma is only about 2 mm (at most), and this new one is about 8-10mm.....

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks Rense. Many, many years ago I worked with a specialist of parasitic wasps in the ecology unit of an agrochemical company. I can't now recall where his main speciality lay but I don't recall them being brightly coloured. Interesting stuff though.

Elephantine by the way.

 

[Rense Haveman]

Mammals were never my specialty... But thanks!!! I can feel the difference, although I do not really understand it....

 

[Rense Haveman]

Oh, and most parasitic wasps are blackish, or at least not as brightly coloured as my Seladerma. That's why I thought it was a Chrysis......

 

[Pete Askew]

The ones he received from the British Natural History Museum to identify were mostly less than 2mm long and in formalin or alcohol. I worked in the microbial ecotoxicology unit whereas he was in the terrestrial ecology unit mainly looking at side-effects on bees and other pollinators but we irked on a couple of soil projects together. The wasps were a side-line as it were. Harold Gough is his name and I see he is still active in the field (but retired I think).

 

[Ivar Dahl-Larsen]

Apart from the conversation above which is very interesting and informative, I must say I admire your work with the insects Rense. They stand out!!!