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Index of Subjects <html> <body> These are great photos, Chris, especially the different markings of the face. Who would think a species would show this much variation. There is also another wasp flying now, with white markings in what seems to be the same places as this one. <br> Thanks.<br> Angus<br><br> At 09:31 PM 9/10/2006, you wrote:<br> <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Hi folks,<br><br> This looks to me like <i>Polistes fuscatus</i> - a wasp - and not a wasp mimic at all. Photos are available at:<br><br> <a href="http://www.cirrusimage.com/Bees_wasp_Polistes_fuscatus.htm"> http://www.cirrusimage.com/Bees_wasp_Polistes_fuscatus.htm</a><br><br> Cheers,<br><br> Chris<br><br> On 10-Sep-06, at 8:36 PM, Stephen Shaw wrote:<br><br> <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Angus, Jean, others,<br> Very nice pictures Angus, but when the mimic is very good how do you know which<br> is the mimic and which the model? As devil's advocate on this, it doesn't look<br> like the usual syrphid fly mimics I've seen here (going by the antennae) so<br> presumably it would have to be a stratiomyid (Stratiomyidae, soldier flies, the<br> other group with many wasp mimics): this does fit with the club-like antennae,<br> but which also perhaps could be hymenopteran, of a mud-dauber maybe. To me,<br> the extreme waist and extremely pointy back end look more wasp-like, features<br> that strats don't usually copy well (less of a waist and a rounded abdominal<br> tip). There's enough motion blur due to take-off that you can't see how many<br> wings there are (looks like there could be two pairs but impossible to be<br> sure), and likewise can't see whether there are halteres or not. So from the<br> one picture alone, to me it could be either a wasp or or a mimetic fly. Did<br> you get a good look at it while it was stationary to resolve this, or did you<br> get other pictures that you could put up?<br><br> The other one on the flower appears to a biggish tachinid, also a great picture.<br> Steve<br> Choc Lake, Halifax.<br> *****************************<br><br> <br> Quoting Angus MacLean <angusmcl@ns.sympatico.ca >:<br> <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Usually the secret to good photos is recognizing the moment & reacting to it. Other times luck plays a big role. Such was the case with these two pics.<br><br> This one catches the subject ready to lift off. One can almost feel the tension as it gets ready. (If your monitor is capable, click the "original size").<br><br> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238045972&size=m"> http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238045972&size=m</a><br><br> This one is in the same vein but has an aesthetic quality to it. (Again click "original" for a larger pic).<br><br> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238045953&size=m"> http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238045953&size=m</a><br><br> Angus<br><br> </blockquote><br> -- <br> Stephen R. Shaw Ph.D.<br> Dept of Psychology & Neuroscience<br> Dalhousie University<br> 1355 Oxford Street<br> Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4J1<br> e-mail: srshaw@dal.ca<br> phone: 1-902-494-2047<br> fax: 1-902-494-6585</blockquote><br> <font face="Times, Times"> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.<br> </font><br> <font face="Times, Times">Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History<br> </font><br> <font face="Times, Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6<br> </font><br> <font face="Times, Times">(902) 424-6435 Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca ><br> </font><br> <font face="Times, Times"> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.<br> </font></blockquote></body> </html>
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