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Photo#560567
Polistes apachus  on water - Polistes aurifer

Polistes apachus on water - Polistes aurifer
Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, USA
August 8, 2011
I've observed paper wasps landing on the pool surface before, then returning to the nest to share water (mouth-to-mouth) and place droplets on capped chambers (to cool and keep them moist, I assume). On this day the temp was over 105 degrees, and the wasps were making many visits to the pool, so I got my camera and joined them for a shoot :)

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Polistes apachus  on water - Polistes aurifer Polistes apachus  on water - Polistes aurifer

Beautiful Images
I just wanted to express appreciation for your aesthetically composed and sharply resolved images of an interesting subject and context. I love the colors of P. aurifer, which are rendered even more pleasing in contrast to the colors and smooth texture of the water.

It's somewhat surprising to my eye that this wasp can land, float, and maneuver on water...with what appears to be have been relative ease. Wish I could do that :-) I'd be fascinated to learn the details of how gravity, tarsal geometry, and the physics of surface tension for water interact to make this possible, and create those dimpled depressions on the water surface. I guess a significant part of the equation is the relatively low mass-to-surface area...and maybe some trapped air between tarsal hairs? I'm also curious about how tricky it is for them to take off in this situation. I'd guess their ability to float like this is dependent on some sensitive variables which...if perturbed in the wrong direction...would cause them to get stuck and sink.

 
on the water
Aaron, thank you for the kind comments. As far as maneuvering on the water; they are at the mercy of water and air currents, which made these photographs a little tricky to get on what was a breezy day. They seem to take off with ease (in no way "stuck" to the water), but fly away noticeably slower than they do when approaching; relative to their own weight, they must be carrying a heavy load of water when they leave. They rarely make a mistake when landing on the water, but I have seen it happen; apparently they sometimes land unevenly, breaking the surface tension, and over they go. I have never seen one unable to right itself and fly off, but I imagine it happens.

Moved
Moved from Polistes apachus. Red form of P. aurifer. P. apachus is not known from Nevada.

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