David Element
Wildlife
Photography and Digital Video Images
______________________________________
_________________________Hymenoptera 23 - Field Digger Wasps
FIELD DIGGER WASP Mellinus arvensis (f)
FIELD DIGGER WASP Mellinus arvensis (f)
FIELD DIGGER WASP Mellinus arvensis (f)
FIELD DIGGER WASP Mellinus arvensis (f)
FIELD DIGGER WASP Mellinus arvensis (f)
- Field
Digger Wasps Mellinus arvensis
are fascinating creatures to watch as their hunting technique is highly
sophisticated - and surprisingly successful as this female caught five
flies during 50 minutes of observation. Four of these were taken within
the first ten minutes and the final capture was influenced by the falling
temperature and fading light. Flies are pursued on foot at great speed
(this needs to be seen to be believed) and only if this ploy fails will
they resort to the perhaps more obvious approach of flying after their
prey! A fuller account of this behaviour appeared in a BWARS newsletter.
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