[NatureNS] Wasp mimic or is it?

Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 23:15:03 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Angus MacLean <angusmcl@ns.sympatico.ca>
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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,&nbsp; 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?&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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).&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; So
from the<br>
one picture alone, to me it could be either a wasp or or a mimetic
fly.&nbsp; 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
&lt;angusmcl@ns.sympatico.ca
&gt;:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Usually the secret to good
photos is recognizing the moment &amp; 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
&quot;original size&quot;).<br><br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238045972&amp;size=m">
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238045972&amp;size=m</a><br><br>
This one is in the same vein but has an aesthetic quality to it. (Again
click &quot;original&quot; for a larger pic).<br><br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238045953&amp;size=m">
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238045953&amp;size=m</a><br><br>
Angus<br><br>
</blockquote><br>
-- <br>
Stephen R. Shaw Ph.D.<br>
Dept of Psychology &amp; 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>
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Natural History<br>
</font><br>
<font face="Times, Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada&nbsp; B3H 3A6<br>
</font><br>
<font face="Times, Times">(902) 424-6435&nbsp;&nbsp; Email
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