Tiny wasp on butterfly's antenna?

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

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MacroLuv
Posts: 1964
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:36 pm
Location: Croatia

Tiny wasp on butterfly's antenna?

Post by MacroLuv »

Photographed today. :D
I noticed it only later on the screen.
First pic is full frame, second and third - cropped.
This antenna is for tiny wasp as like whole garden path for me.

Image

Model Canon EOS 7D
Date/time original 8.10.2010. 14:24:44
Shutter speed value 1/790 s
Aperture value f/5.7
ISO speed ratings ISO 250
Focal length 100 mm

Image

Image
The meaning of beauty is in sharing with others.

P.S.
Noticing of my "a" and "the" and other grammar
errors are welcome. :D

Harold Gough
Posts: 5786
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:17 am
Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

Post by Harold Gough »

I've not seen this sort of thing before. It could help the wasp, a weak flyer, to travel much greater distances than by using its own wings. However, it is probably just a one-off.

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

LordV
Posts: 1571
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:28 am
Location: UK

Post by LordV »

Wonderful capture. Not seen pics of one on a butterfly antenna before but have seen them on other small bugs. With the latter there was a suspicion that the wasps were actually hitching a ride on the bug whose eggs they parasitise and were just waiting for the bug to lay it's eggs. Having said that Harold is probably correct- they are fairly weak flyers and may be just hitching a lift in most cases although I can think of more stable places than a butterfly's antenna :)

Brian v.
www.flickr.com/photos/lordv
canon20D,350D,40D,5Dmk2, sigma 105mm EX, Tamron 90mm, canon MPE-65

Ken Ramos
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

A very unique set of images and a very good scale representation as to the size of the wasp. So tiny! :o

Harold Gough
Posts: 5786
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:17 am
Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

Post by Harold Gough »

LordV wrote:Not seen pics of one on a butterfly antenna before but have seen them on other small bugs. With the latter there was a suspicion that the wasps were actually hitching a ride on the bug whose eggs they parasitise and were just waiting for the bug to lay it's eggs.
Before I posted my comment, I tried to see if the wasp has fringed wings. If it has, as in Brian's recent picture in another thread, that makes it a mymarid, a parasite of lepidopteran eggs, some (slim) evidence for it being there for the purpose of waiting for eggs to be laid. That is valid only if the butterfly is a female.

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

MacroLuv
Posts: 1964
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:36 pm
Location: Croatia

Post by MacroLuv »

Thanks folks! :D

Harold Gough wrote:
LordV wrote:Not seen pics of one on a butterfly antenna before but have seen them on other small bugs. With the latter there was a suspicion that the wasps were actually hitching a ride on the bug whose eggs they parasitise and were just waiting for the bug to lay it's eggs.
Before I posted my comment, I tried to see if the wasp has fringed wings. If it has, as in Brian's recent picture in another thread, that makes it a mymarid, a parasite of lepidopteran eggs, some (slim) evidence for it being there for the purpose of waiting for eggs to be laid. That is valid only if the butterfly is a female.

Harold
Well, seems we have to find some gender specialist for butterflies! :-k
Any experienced here? :lol:

Sorry, if I noticed the wasp at time, could tried to make a better picture.
On most other photographs of this tandem, the wasp is not in decent focus.
Maybe this one is good also, but not enough for wasp indentification.
So wasp knows wich one is female?

Image

Model Canon EOS 7D
Date/time original 8.10.2010. 14:24:39
Shutter speed value 1/664 s
Aperture value f/5.7
ISO speed ratings ISO 250
Focal length 100 mm
The meaning of beauty is in sharing with others.

P.S.
Noticing of my "a" and "the" and other grammar
errors are welcome. :D

ChrisLilley
Posts: 674
Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 6:12 am
Location: Nice, France (I'm British)

Post by ChrisLilley »

Very characterful photos that really show the tiny size of the wasp.

DQE
Posts: 1653
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:33 pm
Location: near Portland, Maine, USA

Post by DQE »

What a treat! I'm sure everyone shares in enjoying such a surprise and such an interesting find.

The photos are very well executed and delightful as macro photos. The detail in the last one is especially enjoyable.
-Phil

"Diffraction never sleeps"

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