On a “Bug Walk” with my young niece she excitedly finds a very small insect on her coat sleeve. She patiently waits with an outstretched arm while I take a few photographs. She is happy seeing what it looks like and thinks that others should see it too. Here is the tiny #wasp.
@JohnCarlson Metallic green color, large ovipositor, beautiful wasp. Your nice has good taste and a good eye too to spot these teeny tiny creatures.
@JohnCarlson @albertcardona@qoto.org My 4-year-old can tell bees apart from the hoverflies that mimic them, and can name and recognise at least bumblebees from honeybees from all other bees. It’s only time and attention—and lots of nature walks during the year-long home schooling of the pandemic.
@albertcardona@mathstodon.xyz @albertcardona@qoto.org An entomologically procotious four year old! Hoverflies can be tricky, especially in summer as so many stripey insects swoop around. I actually used the number of mimics collected during transects in New Orleans as evidence that I didn’t miss collecting Vespula and Dolichovespula in the area for a study. I would see a flash of yellow and black stripes, swoosh out my net and see a pretty mimic looking back at me.
@JohnCarlson And right now hoverflies is all that's out there:
Marmalade hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/142672683
@albertcardona What a deliciously orange hover fly… so aptly named!
@albertcardona As the days become colder and darker, finding insects has become more and more of a challenge. Having someone along with the patience and attention to find the tiny treasures was delightful. She isn’t 100% convinced of becoming an entomologist but I have a few years to work on that!