I never worked up this 2016 photo from the Peruvian Amazon because I was running into trouble identifying the wasp, in spite of its distinct markings.

But taxonomic resources are more accessible a decade on, and I'm happy to announce that she's the rarely photographed Polistes torresae.

#WaspLove #Polistes #Insects #Wasps

Surprise observation this afternoon: Homotropus sp. An ichneumonid wasp, about 5-6 mm long.

There are only 8 observations world wide.

inaturalist.org/observations/2…

#iNaturalist #Hymenoptera #entomology #insects #wasplove

For Wasp Wednesday, a Megischus crown-of-thorns wasp drills deep into a redbud tree with her ovipositor, aiming to lay an egg on a wood-feeding grub inside. Illinois.

#WaspWednesday #WaspLove #Stephanidae #Hymenoptera #Photography #Nature