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Project Noah Nature School
Abispa ephippium
This is the largest wasp species in Australia. This specimen, a regular visitor to our backyard pond, is about 3cm long. You hear it before you see it; the buzzing drone is so loud!! It turns up to drink every 10-15 minutes. The first two shots in this series show it sitting on the weed on the surface of the water and drinking from the pond. The third shot shows it in flight with its long back legs dangling down. (I was terrified of these wasps as a kid, my parents would totally freak out if one came in the house and chase it around with a tennis racket until they killed it... I always thought those long dangly back legs were covered in killing poison or something. I still have residual fear of these insects because of this!!) These wasps build large mud nests filled with caterpillars as food for the larvae, so they are good for the vegie patch as they cart off some of the vegie-eating insects.
Spotted on Dec 16, 2012
Submitted on Dec 23, 2012
3 Comments
Nice spotting and description!
Yes indeed, Alice! My Mum and I were sitting by my pond this morning when the wasp came, and I told her how I was so scared of these wasps for so long. She apologised and said she was just trying to protect her kids from the wasps' vicious sting! So we sat there and watched it together and I told her all the things I know about this wasp. We're all on a journey of discovery together! : )
We pick up our parent's fears so often, glad you are not so afraid now and recognize how they fit into the scheme of Nature.