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Project Noah Nature School
Medium sized 6-10 cm black wasps with cinnamon or reddish wings.
Their nests are round and usually completely covered with wasps. This one was on the mission station in Makuma in the Amazon rainforest of SE Ecuador.
I hit a softball sized nest with the tractor tire while mowing. I saw it the instant I hit it. The wasps rose in a cloud, not unlike in the cartoons, and did everything but form an arrow as they descended on me. We figure I was stung over 100 times. Within an hour I had stomach cramps to where I couldn't sit up. Being in the middle of the jungle far from doctors, my wife and I treated it with prayer and antihistamine. I was 3 days recovering from it. Needless to say, they are very aggressive.
Spotted on Aug 29, 2012
Submitted on Jan 29, 2019
2 Comments
Thankis. I was surprised that it didn't affect me at first. I got back on the tractor and continued mowing. Within 1/2 hour I could no longer sit on the seat. If I had got the antihistamine immediately, it might not have gotten so bad. Stings don't bother me so I figured it was no big deal. Wrong!! :-)
That is the weirdest-looking nest. It must have been a very frightening and painful experience, and one you were very fortunate to survive. Thanks for sharing your story and wonderful photos.