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Have you ever thought about the fact that there is more than just one wasp species in European nature? 🤔
Most people can probably imagine that we have some bees, bumblebees, wasps and maybe hornets. But the fact is that the order of Hymenoptera is a very rich group of insects, and even if we focus on wasps alone, we can find several different species in the Czech Republic. Today, we're going to take a look at the median wasp 🐝
The median wasp is not very abundant, and is most often found in forested areas. We will be particularly interested in what makes it stand out from other wasp species - its unique nest. You might guess that most of our wasps nest secretly in various cavities, mouse burrows, attics etc. Not so the median wasp. In fact, the wasp often hangs its nest loosely on tree branches or in bushes where we can observe it freely. Sometimes it hangs high up in the tree canopy, but once I managed to find a nest that I nearly brushed my thigh against while walking along a stream. Which I'd dislike to do. Median wasps aren't particularly aggressive, but once you shake their nest, the workers mobilize and come out to defend it. Today's video shows what that defensive action looks like ☠️
Are you scared? Don't be. If you were to accidentally stumble upon a similar bun in the bushes, it would have roughly the same effect as if you accidentally stepped into a regular wasp nest in the ground. So you can probably calculate how likely such an accident is. And I'm sure you know that those who are afraid must not go into the woods. Or in the meadow and garden ☘️
If you happen to come across a median wasp nest, you'd better rejoice at what a wonderful discovery you've made. I search for them deliberately from time to time, but I can safely say it doesn't work. Mostly I just find abandoned nests in leafless trees in the winter and curse that I didn't spot them in the summer when I could film the wasps there. I've always stumbled upon active colonies by accident, and they've rarely been this handy to film. You'll most often see the nests in dark wooded valleys near streams and rivers. For example, I met my first median wasps in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, suspended directly above the flow of the Kamenice River 🌿
The chances of encountering this wasp are reduced by the fact that the life span of its colonies is very short - lasting only three to four months. The queen builds the base of the nest in May, the hatched workers then enlarge it up to 20 cm, during the summer they happily live in it, but already during September the wasps die and the colony disappears. The best time for observation is therefore the summer holidays, when the median wasps are at their peak activity.
If you ever come across a photogenic and well-lit nest, be sure to let me know! I have quite a soft spot for these paper balls full of surprise 😊
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✿ Species
Median wasp (Dolichovespula media)
✿ Location and date
South Moravia, Czechia | July 2017
✿ Equipment
Panasonic GH5
Metabones T Smart
Sigma 105
Panasonic 14-140
Rode Videomic Pro
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Median wasp | Dolichovespula media | Vosa prostřední | Mittlere Wespe Kleine Hornisse | Оса средняя
#europeanwildlife #dolichovespulamedia #waspnest
28 сен 2024
