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Fletcher Wildlife Garden | all galleries >> Previous FWG blogs >> 2010 Blogs >> FWG blog: August 2010 > Sphecid wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus) on Mountain mint
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9-AUG-2010 Christine Hanrahan

Sphecid wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus) on Mountain mint

This was taken in the BYG, where there is a small patch of mountain mint. This plant attracts a huge variety of insects and in particular these large and striking wasps. They look fierce but they are not aggressive, unless you happen to brush them away from feeding when they might not be very happy, and who can blame them. These guys hunt grasshoppers and take them down to their burrow where they stock them for their larvae to feed on (the adults are happy to feed mostly on nectar). I have seen them swooping into their burrows with huge grasshoppers clasped beneath their body, an impressive sight, though I really feel sorry for the grasshoppers.

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS
1/640s f/4.0 at 5.0mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time10-Aug-2010 00:06:27
MakeCanon
ModelCanon PowerShot SX20 IS
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length5 mm
Exposure Time1/640 sec
Aperturef/4
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias
White Balance
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto
Yiannis Pavlis21-Aug-2010 21:16
Most spectacular shot ..Great macro.
Guest 09-Aug-2010 20:21
I have a nice patch of this plant and the Sphecid wasps seem especially attracted to it in my yard as well. The flowers are always humming with a variety of wasps, flies and bees. The one at the FWG and those in my yard were obtained at Richter's Herbs through mail order a number of years ago. The species is 'Pycnanthemum pilosum' and Petersons lists it as native toSW Ontario and s. Michigan south. It is very easy to grow and thrives if placed in full sun . The leaves smell mint- like and the individual flowers are very small but prolific. Not a showy plant but very attractive to pollinating insects. Highly recommended.
Claudia
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