Mating wasps

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Mating wasps

October 2, 2015 by Mike Powell

Cole Porter famously wrote that, “Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it…” Apparently he could have included wasps, judging from this shot I took on Monday of mating wasps at Huntley Meadows Park.

I had my macro lens on my camera and was checking out a yellow flowering plant, which I think is goldenrod, when I heard the buzzing of an insect. I assumed that it was a bee, but when it landed, I realized it was a wasp. As I looked through my viewfinder and focused more closely on the subject, it became apparent that it was not one wasp—it was a mating pair.

They didn’t stay long, but I was able to get a reasonably clear shot of the couple as they “do it.”

If you are not familiar with the Cole Porter song that I referenced, “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love), check out a YouTube video of Ella Fitzgerald singing a jazzy version or a more traditional arrangement by Conal Fowkes.

Posted in Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, wildlife | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, Cole Porter, Huntley Meadows Park, Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love, mating wasps, Tamron 180mm macro lens, wasps | 14 Comments

14 Responses

on October 2, 2015 at 7:15 am | Reply Julz.......artist, blogger, photographer, graphic designer

Wow…what a shot
- on October 2, 2015 at 7:21 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I have a suspicion that this shot won’t appeal to everyone, but I think it’s a cool shot in the way it shows in detail an aspect of life that we don’t tend to think much.
  - on October 2, 2015 at 7:30 am Julz.......artist, blogger, photographer, graphic designer
    
    Yes….not for everyone, in fact I hate wasps, but a very cool shot indeed
on October 2, 2015 at 9:31 am | Reply cihearu - Chronicles of a Bionic Woman

Oh — amazing! And Mike – thanks for that great Ella link
Carol
on October 2, 2015 at 11:40 am | Reply Mating wasps | Gaia Gazette

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on October 2, 2015 at 12:10 pm | Reply Birder's Journey

Talk about ering in the right place at the right time!!! Amazing shot, Mike!
on October 2, 2015 at 12:11 pm | Reply waltersanford

Aw, the softer side of wasps! Who knew? Good catch, Mike.
on October 2, 2015 at 2:27 pm | Reply Lyle Krahn

That is a great shot. I like the blurred wings while the wasps are clear.
on October 3, 2015 at 9:51 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

It seems like it would be a little late in the season for insects to be mating but what I know about wasps would fit in a thimble.
- on October 3, 2015 at 9:59 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I know that it’s not too late for dragonflies and damselflies, but they begin their lives in the water. For other species, who knows? There are so many different variations with different creatures, with hibernation, brumation, overwintering, etc. that it’s hard to know how it is that individual species survive the cold winters.
on October 3, 2015 at 10:42 am | Reply afrenchgarden

Brilliant photograph. Wasps are not as cute as bees but they are useful in keeping down pests in the garden. Amelia
on October 3, 2015 at 3:16 pm | Reply Steve Schwartzman

That’s a hard shot to get, but you got it.
on October 4, 2015 at 9:29 pm | Reply circadianreflections

Wow! That’s a neat image and sight to see.
- on October 5, 2015 at 4:53 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. It was an unusual sight and I’m thrilled (and a bit surprised) that I was able to capture it so well.