巣材の泥団子を集めるエントツドロバチ Mason Wasp Making Mud Pie

神社の境内で巣材集めに飛来するエントツドロバチ（オオカバフスジドロバチ）♀を観察。同一個体かと思ったら少なくとも二匹が通って来ていました。大体同じ場所を掘るよう­だ。乾いた土に水を吐き戻して湿らせ、大顎と前脚だけで泥団子を丸め巣に運ぶ。掘り始めたら至近距離に迫るカメラのレンズも気にしないようだが、作業前にこちらが不用意に­動くと飛んで逃げしばらく戻らない。泥団子を咥えて飛び去る後を何度も追いかけたものの、建築中の巣の位置は突き止められませんでした。それにしてもすごい顎の力だ。シー­ズン終了時には磨り減ってしまっているのではないだろうか。ドロバチは歯が命！

Female mason wasp (Orancistrocerus drewseni, family Eumenidae) digging ground with her jaws to collect dirt pies for building material of her nest. I sat tight on the ground at a shrine for about 1.5 hrs to record this fascinating instinctive behavior. Late-July, 2007 in Japan.
http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/lh/photo/wTIYepydfa0pUgCTWMkGRQ?feat=directlink
Music : Kinder Atom - Ladies (Directions Soft Mix)

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• potter
• wasp
• mason
• mud
• dauber
• dirt
• nest
• dig
• エントツドロバチ
• ドロバチ科
• 巣材

[11martini]

Cool. Social insects have such fascinating behaviors, great to see them close up. I can only imagine how all those behaviors are stored in their tiny brains.

Music was a good choice too.

[sigma1920]

yeah, their instinctive behaviours are well-organized and fascinating to watch.

i have read that this species reproduce in parthenogenesis (virgin generation without mating with males).

[fa272]

We have these here in West Virginia..they make little hollow mud nests..very pretty type of wasp

[sigma1920]

that's cool!

did u make a vid of them?

the mud nest of this species has a unique entrance which looks like a tiny chimney.

[fa272]

Yeah the nests of these look like cylinder shaped organ pipes..and they look a little different than the ones pictured here..these are solid black/blue with a thinner midsection. Nah never made a video I just sit and observe every now and then

[sigma1920]

that's okay.

glad to meet a wasp-lover.

i have yet to observe their hunting behaviours and storing the prey in the nest.

[MeebleMeeble]

Quite industrious!

[sigma1920]

thx.

if u are also interested in their behaviours, check out my new vids.

recently i could observe their nesting.

watch?v=3ZNCB7Nthvs

watch?v=nUye2zZZiRA

watch?v=tTdwav2yxHE

[Energyium]

nice music

[robomantis]

No sadly :( when i saw her i had no camera with me :( but i will try to get a video.