Continuing on with my labour of love… we have open our eyes to the many wasps that are found here in Australia. Indeed, it is the mud wasps that first kindled our interests, especially seeing them build their mud nests, creating and filling the nesting cells with their prey to feed the developing larva. We were privileged to have some mud nests being built right at our front door…
13th cell of the Orange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei) mud nest, Alice Springs NTStocking the 13th cell of the Orange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei) mud nest, Alice Springs NTOrange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei) building cell in mud nest, Alice Springs NTOrange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei) building cell in mud nest, Alice Springs NTOrange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei) on its mud nest, Alice Springs NTNests of the Mud Wasp (Delta latreillei formerly Eumenes latreilli), Alice Springs, NTCaterpillar in 5th cell of the Orange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei) mud nest, Alice Springs NT7th cell of mud nest – Orange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei), Alice Springs NT11th cell in the mud nest of the Orange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei), Alice Springs NTNests of the Mud Wasp (Delta latreillei formerly Eumenes latreilli), Alice Springs, NTNest of the Mud Wasp (Delta latreillei formerly Eumenes latreilli), Alice Springs, NTAdding a new cell to the mud nest by the Mud Wasp (Delta latreillei formerly Eumenes latreilli), Alice Springs, NTPeek look at the larva in the mud nest of the Mud Wasp (Eumenes latreilli), Alice Springs, NTPotter wasp / Mud wasp nest on hook, Alice Springs, NT
Then just as exciting was seeing the empty opening to the individual nest cells (the new wasps having emerged and flown away). Then would you believe, native bees took advantage of the vacated nest cells, cleaning them, provisioning them with pollen and nectar for their young larvae, then sealing the nest cells.
Nesting behaviour of the Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons), Alice Springs, NT
Nesting behaviour of the Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons), Alice Springs, NT
Nesting behaviour of the Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons), Alice Springs, NT
Nesting behaviour of the Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons), Alice Springs, NT
Red Eyes of the Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons), Alice Springs, NT
Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons) sealing the nest with resin, Alice Springs, NT
Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons) sealing the nest with resin, Alice Springs, NT
Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons) capping the nest
Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons) capping the nest
Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons) capping the nest
Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons) capping the nest
The world of Australian native wasps has been an exciting journey of discovery, especially the many wasps species shared with us by our contributors and authors, with genus/species of wasps that we did not know existed…
