karoopixie's Favorites

Potter wasp building and populating a nest

Watched for about 15 minutes as this wasp built, then fetched sand, built again and fetched more sand. Went back the following day and the little pottery studio was built. Went back again six days later and there was a "baby" in the studio.

Wasp around 25mm - 28mm in length. Black with reddish front legs.

Kleinmond weirdest female the second

25 Oct 2015

Collected a familiar twiggy bagworm on Erica serrata in mature fynbos near Kleinmond's golfcourse.

27 Oct 2015

The caterpillar attached itself to the rim of its container and stopped eating or moving about. It is hard to tell when pupation occurs with bagworms as they sometimes stop for a while and then get going again (perhaps they moult slowly, just like other caterpillars).

17 Nov 2015

Three weeks later a wingless female emerged from a small hole created in the posterior of the twig-bag. She has been sitting on the bag with little movement apart from the ovipositor which extends and retracts often, sometimes it is extended for long periods, sometimes she keeps it in for a while.

See plant https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/119602632
See fly https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/119602638
See parasitoid fly https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/123709171
See fly larva https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/123709114
See fly pupa https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/123709137