24.9.11

Invasion of the Hornets

Did you arrive here to check out a scary post?


This is a Lesser Banded Hornet which has multiplied in quantity over time.


They are about 25mm in length.
This particular one is forming a ball.


I used to see them hovering among plants but now they are everywhere.


Someone must have told them I like critter shots...


...and they passed the message to one another.


It took me quite a while to have 3 of them in focus while a few were hovering around me because I was in their way.
They are on a very serious mission to collect wood to complete their nest.
So, please do not try this at home.


Like bees, they love the nectar.
Their diet consists of other insects and perhaps they are here to get rid of papaya fruit flies so that I get a chance to consume my papayas again.


On hot days, they quench their thirst at my lotus flower pot.
No wonder the water has been depleting quickly.
(Ok. I have heard of evaporation.)


There are many types of hornets.
The Lesser Banded Hornet or Vespa affinis has 2 orange bands covering the first and second segment of its abdomen while the rest of the abdomen is black.
It is true that they have grown in numbers, hence the title as such.
But it is not meant to be a scary post.

I am entering this last photo in Gardening Gone Wild's 'Picture This Photo Contest' with the theme Late Summer Garden.

Linking up with :

Macro Friday

27 comments:

  1. Those are incredible shots. Fantastic the one drinking. I had some with the yellow stripe that goes in the ground. Makes me crazy.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wspaniałe zdjęcia szerszeni, chociaż nie należą one do moich ulubionych owadów ;-). Pozdrawiam

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your photos are all so amazing, I too think the one who is drinking is phenomenal.

    ReplyDelete
  4. WOW! Amazing photos! I can't help but be scared looking at them though.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog as well!
    ~Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really nice macros One. This really is a pretty insect and some great captures.

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh my. these are AMAZING!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such beautiful shots. Wasps should be Public Enemy #1, especially if one is allergic to their sting. You have absolutely amazing pictures--once again. Scary? No. I am bigger than they are.

    ReplyDelete
  8. We have the invasion of the apes and now hornets what's next? haha. Great pixz of them biting the wood and forming a ball.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Aha, these are yellow banded hornets, not The Green Hornet! I wonder if they know kung fu?

    ReplyDelete
  10. An interesting and beautiful series ... great photos ...
    LG: Karin

    ReplyDelete
  11. Amazing captures of these hornets! Not my favorite pollinator because I don't want to be stung but I just stay out of their way. I have never notice one drinking before but I am sure they must. Incredible shots of the three and the one drinking!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great shots! You must be very patient! I would be scared of them just because of their fondness for wood. That can't be good for your structure!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Splendid captures you have there! Waiting for the hornet to just pass by to capture their pics really said something about you. Just one thing to remember, if you happen to find hornets around you, it means honey bees were around too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Amazing photos!! You are so telented!
    It was a lovely post I enjoyed the Story with the photos :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. The pictures are great.

    But if the quantity of the hornet grows, there must be a nest nearby.

    Please be careful.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, the photos are splendid!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Truly wonderful series of shots!! Amazing!! Your sense of humour makes them all the more appealing!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Beautiful again One. I saw lots of critters today, but as usual my shots are blurred coz my lens is not suited to smaller ones like this. I have to zoom which makes my hand shaky and the photo not as sharp! Grrrr.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Not quite a scary post, but fascinating. All of the shots are great but the last one is very special. We get plenty common wasps which have stung me frequently over the years, no hornets like these ones though.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What an amazing capture! We had some hornets in the garden this summer and I could actually hear them "chewing" on the wood. They're such interesting creatures!

    ReplyDelete
  21. You really got some wonderful shots of those hornets. Do they actually damage wood structures by collecting the wood? It looked like they were really stripping it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. That last photograph is absolutely amazing. How much did you have to pay him to pose for you? <> I don't even want to guess at how many hours you spent trying to capture those shots! (Been there, done that LOL.) I have never seen a bee or hornet drinking water! Absolutely the most amazing insect photo I've seen in ages!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Nice captures.

    Regards and best wishes

    ReplyDelete
  24. Just saw that you've won the GGW contest!! Congratulations, One, it's a great shot!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congratulations to the Silver Winner in the Gardening Gone Wild Picture This Photo Contest!! Dugg this post too.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails