#not wasps

[waspdaily]

Sorry for no wasp today— the queue ran out and while I have a bunch of wasps in the drafts (about 50...) I havent had the time or energy to finish up researching them to a satisfying enough degree. I should be able to get back on that soon though. In the meantime, if you have any wasps you'd like to see, be it a specific one, a certain family, or even just a color feel free to send an ask and I'll see what I can do. Your own wasp observations or experiences are also always welcome.

Take this funky sawfly hugging a leaf as an apology:

[source]

[wasp-propaganda-official]

Genuine question--how do mosquitoes fit into the ecosystem? I'm pretty scared of them & see them as disease vectors so I'd love a different perspective & to see the good in them

mosquitoes have a very important role!!!!! they help to transfer energy and nutrients from larger animals back to smaller animals without killing those larger animals, and they also help to transfer those nutrients and energy from land animals to sea creatures and flying animals, and also to other bugs!! mosquitoes (like wasps) also is not a singular species, mosquitoes are a taxonomic family, and they are important pollinators as well!! most mosquitoes dont even feed on blood, most feed on nectar and plant materials.

(if anyone else with more facts would like to add please do!!!)

[planetary-bugs]

100% wasp-free

Now with added mimicry

[waspdaily]

Any purple wasps? Also have you done one on that one wasp that kinda mind controls cockroaches into its little lair?

I got the beautiful mad scientist that is the cockroach wasp right here!

Post by @waspdaily · 2 images

💬 1  🔁 42  ❤️ 97 · the green wasp you posted reminded me of my favorite wasp, the emerald cockroach wasp! i'd love to see you feature them :

As for purple wasps— any instance of purple on wasps is going to be the result of structural color (meaning not actual pigment and just looks purple to us due to how the light reflects off of it) and is most visible on the wings of some wasps such as Drepanaporus collaris or Gnamptopelta obsidianator (interestingly, it seems that Pepsine wasps are the ones that show the most purple in their wings). Given the right light and angle though, you might be able to spot flashes of purple on many wasps.

If you're looking for a true purply purple though I would like to bring to your attention the larva of the mallow sawfly (Neoptilia tora), which is not a wasp but is still hymenoptera:

image 1, image 2

They can be absolute menaces to trees and strip them of all their leaves but ooooaf so porpel

[waspdaily]

[image description: three photos of the same small metallic green sweat bee feeding on a cluster of white flowers. In the first image the bee is curled like a C around the top of the flower]

When my roommate first spotted this lil green gem, I got excited by the possibility of it being a cuckoo wasp, though it turned out to be an (equally cute) sweat bee. It leisurely feasting in a flower should have been the giveaway, as cuckoo wasps are more likely to be seen lapping up sap or honeydew. A lot of guides I saw on how to distinguish sweat bees and cuckoo wasps mentioned details of the head (bee's antennae being located more in the middle vs wasp's being further down, bee's eyes being long ovals vs wasp's being egg shaped), but since the face is often snuffling away for sweets, I've found that checking the details of the back/scutum to be easier. For sweat bees, the back is a smooth single piece; cuckoo wasps typically have a lobed segment or two. So if you see an extra line its likely a wasp!

Photo 1: Bee in the tribe Augoclorini

Photo 2: Wasp in the tribe Elampini

[wasp-propaganda-official]

i wanted to pop in and say that im sorry there hasnt been much activity here in a hot minute, downside of letting a single headmate make a blog is that sometimes they dont wanna front for weeks to months at a time, and none of us want to take over its blog because bugs'll be upset if we mess with his stuff

[sunray242]

As far as I know, I'm not allergic to wasps or bees though I am panic-attack-inducingly afraid of them

But I know that THE DAY I'm no longer afraid to be near them, a wasp is going to be a jackass (as they are) and is going to sting me and that will be the day we find out I'm allergic