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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Cuckoo Wasps & allies (Chrysidoidea) » Cuckoo Wasps (Chrysididae) » Chrysidinae » Elampini » Elampus
Photo#648449
A wild orgy - Elampus
Copyright © 2012 Harlan Ratcliff

A wild orgy - Elampus
rural, Dallas County, Iowa, USA
May 28, 2012
Size: 5 mm
Large numbers of these bees(?) were flying in the sunlight right above the hostas. The numbers of individuals could have been over 100 easily. They would occasionally land on a leaf, and rapidly walk or run along it. Rarely there were these clusters--mating, I assume. Bees flew most of the day yesterday and today, usually staying in the sunlight near shade.
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Contributed by Harlan Ratcliff on 28 May, 2012 - 5:48pm
Last updated 2 June, 2012 - 4:47am

Moved
Moved from Cuckoo Wasps.
Amazing photo!!! I have never seen or heard about such behaviour of chrysidids. Indeed mass emergence of few chrysidid species has been observed and documented before. I have seen such emergence of species of genera Elampus and Philoctetes. Although females are probably also around the masses are formed of numerous male specimens. The reason of it phenomen is unknown and moreover it is seldomly observed.

This particular aggregation of specimens is most likely group of males trying to mate single female. Similar clusters are known to occur in several other insects (I can recall some Colletes bees) but never in chrysidids.

Thanks for posting this photo, it contributes a lot to the knowledge about chrysidids and adds new information about mass emergence phenomen of chrysidids.
… Villu Soon, 2 June, 2012 - 4:47am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies.
… Brad Barnd, 28 May, 2012 - 6:11pm login or register to post comments

Chrysydidae [not bees]
awesome shot; no idea what their problem is
… v belov, 28 May, 2012 - 5:54pm login or register to post comments

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