#fabriogenia

[ljsbugblog]

just for fun, a compilation of every wasp species I've seen drink from the pond so far.

Spider Wasp, genus Fabriogenia.

Potter Wasp, subfamily Eumeninae.

Potter Wasp, genus Paralastor.

Square-headed Wasp, subfamily Crabroninae.

Vase-cell Mud-dauber Wasp, Sceliphron formosum.

Square-headed Wasp, genus Pison.

Australian Paper Wasp, Polistes humilis.

[drhoz]

#2152 - Auplopus sp.

Formerly Fabriogenia. The change was news to me.

A worldwide genus of spider wasps, that amputate the legs of their prey before carting them back to prepared cells. Commonly seen in Australia, exploring treetrunks and under loose bark, antennae waving wildly. There's at least one fly and one beetle that mimic the colours and behaviour, presumably for protection - spider wasp stings are notoriously painful.

Uranquinty, NSW

[onenicebugperday]

@pyroaconitine submitted: seeing as we are currently speaking of wasps, here is a sweet fellow hunting down a spider ! the photos are not quite the best because I didn't want to scare them, but if you're able to ID it's Sydney Australia.

While I was taking photos the wasp flew off, still carrying the spider and flew directly towards me and I did physically jump lol.

She's beautiful! And has absolutely no desire to sting a person since you're not a delicious spider to feed to her larvae. There are a lot of spider wasps so I'd need clearer photos to ID her confidently, but my best guess is the genus Fabriogenia :)

[ljsbugblog]

another elusive pond visitor that I was finally able to photograph. this beautiful spider wasp has been visiting the pond since we first put water in it. I think she's finally becoming accustomed to a big lens looming over her while she drinks lol.

Unknown Mud-nesting Spider Wasp (genus Fabriogenia).

[drhoz]

The Great ACT-NSW-NZ Trip, 2023-2024 - Gundagai

AYArktos' photo from Wiki, since I was too busy looking for insects around the place to photograph the statue.

Gundagai is a small town on the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne, and site of the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox, from a doggeral poem written at least as early as 1857. The bullock team driver in the poem was not having a good day, and the poem was considered quite rude even without the popular variations with an added 'h'

And the dog sat on the tuckerbox five miles from Gundagai.

@purrdence and I hadn't planned on stopping there - we'd originally intended to catch the train from Wagga Wagga to Sydney. But we didn't want to infect anybody with COVID.