2307_1205 American Sand Wasp - a photo on Flickriver

2307_1205 American Sand Wasp

            As I start a brief insect series, I am assuming that if it looks exactly like an American Sand Wasp, that's what it is. 

It had spent the night dormant, clinging to the "cone" of a Prairie Coneflower - a wild prairie plant that grows happily in my garden - and it neither moved nor showed any awareness when I closed in with my macro lens. No wind. Hand held. I chose to work quickly, thinking it might revive. I even poked it to determine whether it was dead, and it responded with a feeble wave of forelegs. 

I'd never seen one, or perhaps never noticed one, as they are widespread in North and South America. After turning my attention elsewhere, I checked this flower an hour later... gone. 

Although this is a country of heavy clay soils, there are sandhills here and there, especially in the buttes of our nearby national park. This beautiful wasp excavates nesting cavities in sandy soils, and stocks them with paralyzed prey that their larvae can feed on. Nature isn't all light and sweetness.

Photographed in my backyard garden in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2023 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Taken in: Canada / Saskatchewan / Val Marie (show map)

Taken on: July 16, 2023

Tags:

American Sand Wasp

Bembix americana

wasp

macro

close up

vertical

dormant

morning

soft light

no wind

hand held

wild

prairie

backyard

garden

Val Marie

Saskatchewan

Canada

copyrighted

James R. Page

2023 « less

Sets appears in: • Best 2023 • Insects & Arachnids more » • A Prairie Garden « less

Camera: Nikon D850, f/22.0, 1/250 sec, 180mm, ISO 1600 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D850
Lens:	105.0 mm f/2.8
Aperture:	f/22.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	180mm
ISO:	1600
Exposure Bias:	-2/3 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 22.5 (Macintosh)
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