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Vespa


Vespa
Photo Information
Copyright: Tabajara Kaiser (taba) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 481 W: 128 N: 304] (1707)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-12-22
Categories: Insects
Camera: Sony DSC-H1
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/60 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-02-09 20:21
Viewed: 912
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Generally, social wasps do not have a mating flight. Instead they reproduce between a single queen and a male drone in the vicinity of their nesting area. After successfully mating, the drone's sperm cells are stored in a tightly packed ball inside the queen. The sperm are kept stored in a dormant state until the following spring. At a certain time of year (often around autumn time) the bulk of the wasp colony dies away, leaving only the young mated queens alive. During this time they leave the nest and find a suitable area to hibernate for the winter.

After emerging from hibernation during early spring, the young queens search for a suitable nesting site. Upon finding an area for her future colony, the queen usually constructs a basic paper nest into which she will begin to lay eggs. This varies from species to species in specifics, as not all wasps live in paper nests.

The sperm that was stored earlier and kept dormant over winter is now used to fertilize the eggs being laid. The storage of sperm inside the female queen allows her to lay a considerable number of fertilized eggs without the need for repeated mating with a male wasp. For this reason a single female queen is quite capable of building an entire colony from only herself. The eggs laid initially are sterile female workers who will begin to construct a more elaborate nest around their queen and take over her role of feeding the larvae.

Towards the end of the summer, the female wasps begin to run out of stored sperm to fertilize more eggs. These eggs develop into fertile males and fertile female queens. The male drones then fly out of the nest and find a mate thus perpetuating the wasp reproductive cycle. The queens will then leave the colony to hibernate for the winter once the other wasps begin to die off. After successfully mating with a young queen, the male drones die off. Generally young queens and drones from the same nest do not mate with each other.

Unlike most species of honey bee queens, the wasp queens only live for one year although exceptions are possible. Contrary to popular belief, the queen wasp does not organize the wasp colony or have any raised status amongst the social group. She is rather the reproductive element of the colony as all members of the colony are theoretically direct genetic descendants of the queen.
The nests of social wasps are first constructed by the queen and are initially about the size of a walnut. The size of the nest increases as more workers are propagated. Unlike honey bees, wasps have no wax producing glands. They manufacture a paper-like material from wood pulp. Wood fibers are gathered from weathered wood, softened by chewing and mixing with saliva. The paper is then used to make combs with cells for brood rearing.
Thanks to wikipedia from where this text was copyed..
Taba
fiyo, GLEM, marhowie, Alex99, anel, jeanpaul, ddg, vizion has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To vizion: Hitaba 1 07-19 19:03
To ddg: Saluttaba 1 06-11 07:33
To Nilson: Olátaba 1 02-27 20:43
To jeanpaul: Saluttaba 1 02-24 08:39
To delic: Hitaba 1 02-24 08:38
To rdfoto: Saluttaba 1 02-22 14:18
To anel: Hitaba 1 02-11 07:36
To Alex99: Hellotaba 1 02-11 07:35
To marhowie: Hitaba 1 02-11 07:34
To GLEM: Saluttaba 1 02-11 07:33
To fiyo: Hitaba 1 02-11 07:31
To JoseMiguel: Holataba 1 02-11 07:30
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Tabajara,
Excellent macro of this wasp!
I like so much all details got on it, and despite the hard light you managed so well with the exposure.
The composition builded works pretty well in this picture.
Well done, thanks for share and happy week end,
JM

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 5 N: 2771] (10650)
  • [2007-02-10 3:51]
  • [+]

Hello Tabajara,
Great shot.
Lovely detail and colours,nice composition.
Nice work,very well done.

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 531 W: 87 N: 697] (6193)
  • [2007-02-10 4:31]
  • [+]

bonjour Tabajara,
je suis impressionné par cette image, ce genre de frelon à l'air si énorme. Belle prise de vue, la netteté et le lumière sont bons.

tfs

Hello Tabajara,
Very good detail and I like the POV of the wasp eating..whatever that green glob is ;)
Good color, DOF, and the exposure was well managed.
Well done & TFS!

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3609 W: 143 N: 5702] (18641)
  • [2007-02-10 11:03]
  • [+]

Hi Tabajara.
Bravo, my friend. Great close-up picture. Great lighting, details and sharpness. I like your selection of the DOF, impressive POV and nice composition. BG is very expressive and well blurred too. My best regards and TFS.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1738 W: 0 N: 3954] (15864)
  • [2007-02-10 11:33]
  • [+]

Hi Taba,
Excellent and vivid picture of this hungry wasp. I like a lot.Thanks also for the interesting note.
Best regards
Anne

Bonsoir Tabajara
Excellent Angle de prise de vue, une image qui m'impressione. Bravo
Amicalement Robi

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 449 W: 6 N: 310] (898)
  • [2007-02-22 16:28]
  • [+]

Hello Tabajara,
Fantastic detail on this wasp close-up in action. Great colors and sharpness. Very impressive.
Hakan

Bonjour Tabajara
Superbe macro de ce bel insecte,les couleurs sont jolies et détails sont d'une netteté impécables,c'est du très grand travail .
Amitiés et au revoir...JP

Oi colega que foto maravilhosa essa, ficou muito bem focada,está de parabéns por esta imagem detalhes ótimo.
NIlson

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 855 W: 23 N: 942] (5111)
  • [2007-06-05 16:33]
  • [+]

Bonjour Tabajara, great shot of this wasp. Perfect composition, sharpness and colors too. I like the busy attitude of this bug! Congratulations, didier.

Hi Taba,

Good close-up of the wasp.
Nicely detailed with some action to it as well.
Thanks for a very loooong informative note :)

Cheers,
Christian

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