07 August 2009

Paper Lace

Paper wasp on Queen Anne's Lace flower head
The most common wasp we see here is this paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus). It isn't as aggressive as the usual wasp (Vespula germanica) you see in the UK. Those ones do turn up here too, where they're known as yellow jackets - but I've only really seen them in towns, frequenting their usual favourite haunts of garbage/rubbish containers. These paper wasps have very pronounced waists and extremely long back legs, which look quite comical when you see them in flight.

5 comments:

VP said...

Just seen you Tweeting at the Tweehive! Good to see someone else hosting flowers today :)

Have a great weekend!

LITTLE BROWN DOG said...

Beautiful pictures, Amanda - and loved the little gherkin one below. Do you know, I had never really thought about gherkins being grown, bizarrely, and find the thought quite fascinating. How exciting to be setting your roots down in a new country - am quite envious in a way.

Thanks for your comment on my blog, and sorry if I sounded waspish (scuse the pun) about Twitter. I always keep an open mind and am not to proud to change it. Interesting to hear, having been sceptical initially you're now a Twitter convert. Will send the jury out again.

Lovely to discover your world.

Anonymous said...

beautifully captured shot!

Amanda said...

LBD - you've written a book about allotments and haven't considered where gherkins came from? I'm shocked and disappointed ;-)

Thanks VP and flyingstars - have a great weekend.

Linda said...

These wasp waists are something else. You'd think that evolution might conclude that it was a fragile point, but evidently not. Perhaps nothing dares get near enough to threaten it!