Insects
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Nice one @WhiskeySandwich
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Awesome posts, friends! Check out this intimidating, yet kind big bug dude I saw this evening. He looks like a hawk wasp or something? More formidable when in flight.
Was chill enough to let me take a few quick pics.
Edit: from closer inspection, it appears to be a fly of some kind. The eyes gave it away.
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@SKT the first one is an assassin bug. The second is actually a damselfly which looks much like a dragonfly minus the wing orientation and body size.
Both of which are cool as hell. -
Does anyone know if different bee species are territorial?
I was walking home with the dog earlier. Both my house and my neighbour's have lavender out the front, which is in full bloom and smelling lovely. There have been big fat bumblebees all over mine for about two months now. But as I walked passed my neighbour's house I noticed that his was swarmed with honey bees, and there wasn't a bumble in sight. Just two-driveways' width away, outside my place, and there were no honey bees, only the big fat bumblebees.
Just wondering if there were any apiarists on here that might comment, esp. as Google informs me that different bee species are not supposed to be territorial?
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@EdH When I took my apiculture classes in University, we discussed how bees (honeybee) communicate with each other using what's called the waggle dance. What you may be observing is that the honeybee's have found a good source of pollen and have communicated to each other that the site is where they should be going to collect.
What I suspect is that they will move on to the next location once the site has been harvested...
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@goosehd It's truly amazing how that dance communicates anything. Have there been any studies that have attempted to interpret the dances?
But what I can't fathom in my case is why the honeys are ignoring my lavender and only hitting my neighbour's, and leaving my lavender to the bumblebees (who in turn are not on my neighbour's plants)... Like I say, the two sets of plants are only ~8m away from one another, but the bees don't seem to be mixing.
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@EdH The dance is directions to the site with the pollen and it would be like following your car's guidance to a specific destination. There are scout's that go and search for rich and abundant sources who then come back to the hive and give the directions to the other bee's.
My guess is that the scout has located the one set of lavender and they are working to harvest it whilst the scout is out looking for other nutrient rich locations.
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Bees are the coolest. Just got a fresh batch of my neighbors honey. Can’t beat local!
The hornets have been getting territorial about the peaches. A couple different types, including the bald-faced hornets which are black and white. Couldn’t get a pic of those but got this one. They absolutely destroy some peaches.
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Recently found these colourful guys. Don’t know much about them other than harmless (no sting etc).
The journey is the objective.
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@motojobobo wow those are so neat looking.
I found these wings outside the other morning. No thorax, head, antennas, etc to be seen.
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This little git has been buzzing around the house for days, unable to find and make use of one of the many open windows to escape, and generally being a PITA whenever we were cooking. The dog just discovered his corpse under the coffee table.
Kinda beautiful their iridescent colouring when you can get a good look.
Take the dive...
