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I find these wasps to be fascinating in their habits. Many can be found low=
in the vegetation where they float around never seeming to land. Presumabl=
y they are looking for spiders=2C etc. In any case they remind me of Crane =
Flies since they seem to require no effort to fly. I've tried without succe=
ss to photograph them so I have never identified any of them.
=20
Ammophila wasps (also thread-waisted wasps) prey only on caterpillars=2C I =
believe=2C so they can be found on vegetation & photographed readily. Never=
theless difficult to i.d. since there are an astonishing number of species =
in N.A.
=20
If you can tolerate mud daubers on your property=2C they would very interes=
ting to watch due to (1) the structure they build. Each cell is composed of=
"ribs' which meet in the centre perfectly & which has an artistic appearan=
ce (think Buckminster Fuller & Expo 67). After creating a few of these cell=
s=2C it then covers them up with mud. (2) Mud daubers are heavily parasitiz=
ed by wasps=2C ants=2C bee flies & other flies. The most interesting one is=
the Cuckoo Wasp. These wasps are metallic coloured=2C blue or green=2C wit=
h a "shell of armour". The cuckoo wasp enters the mud-dauber's abode=2C is =
discovered whereby it curls up into a ball. The mud dauber attempts to driv=
e it out by stinging it but when unsuccessful=2C leaves it there. The cucko=
o wasp waits for the mud dauber to return with spiders=2C lays its eggs on =
them & departs.
=20
Angus=20
=
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<body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>I find these wasps to be fascina=
ting in their habits. Many can be found =3Blow in the vegetation where =
they float around never seeming to land. Presumably they are looking for sp=
iders=2C etc. In any case they remind me of Crane Flies since they seem to =
require no effort to fly. I've tried without success to photograph them so =
I have never identified any of them.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
Ammophila wasps (also thread-waisted wasps) prey only on caterpillars=2C I =
believe=2C so they can be found on vegetation &=3B photographed readily.=
Nevertheless difficult to i.d. since there are an astonishing number of sp=
ecies in N.A.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
If you can tolerate mud daubers on your property=2C they would very interes=
ting to watch due to (1) the structure they build. Each cell is composed of=
"ribs' which meet in the centre perfectly &=3B which =3Bhas an arti=
stic appearance (think =3BBuckminster Fuller &=3B Expo 67). After cr=
eating a few =3Bof these cells=2C it then covers them =3Bup with mu=
d. (2) Mud daubers are heavily parasitized by wasps=2C ants=2C bee flies &a=
mp=3B other flies. The most interesting one is the Cuckoo Wasp. These wasps=
 =3Bare metallic coloured=2C blue or green=2C with a "shell of armour".=
The cuckoo wasp enters the mud-dauber's abode=2C is discovered whereby it =
curls up into a ball. The =3Bmud dauber attempts to drive it out by sti=
nging it =3Bbut =3Bwhen unsuccessful=2C leaves it there. The cuckoo=
wasp waits for =3Bthe mud dauber to return with spiders=2C lays its eg=
gs on them &=3B departs.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
Angus =3B<BR> </div></body>
</html>=
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