Snack Time! so yummy!

[addy1]

While grooming the lilies I saw this water spider snacking on a dragon fly. Munching on its head.

 

[j.w]

There is the picture I was looking for. Somehow I missed it a moment ago when on the forum. Poor dragon fly but spidey has to eat too!

 

[Mmathis]

Poor dragonfly! That's like my lizard pic!

Today we watched a cicada-killer wasp take on a cicada. Impressive! I only took video, so I'll see if I can put a frame or 2 to post later.

 

[addy1]

Last year I watched one eat a fry.

 

[Lisak1]

Good gravy! It's a slaughter fest on these ponds!

 

[Mmathis]

Cicada-killer wasp, well, killing a cicada (they actually subdue them and leave them in the nest tunnel as food for when the babies hatch). They are huge! The cicada is the white-ish shape underneath the wasp.

Crappy photo (you probably can't tell anything), but it's a frame from a video and at the time I took it (this afternoon), was afraid to get too close.... Have you ever seen a cicada-killer wasp? Those are mean looking critters!

 

[addy1]

We have wasps that look like that, they kill a lot of grubs to stuff in their nests to feed the young. Have not seen one kill a cicadid, we have not had a hatching of them either.

 

[Mmathis]

We have wasps that look like that, they kill a lot of grubs to stuff in their nests to feed the young. Have not seen one kill a cicadid, we have not had a hatching of them either.

It's odd.... I've seen maybe 1/2 dozen over the past 5 years. They're not swarming-type wasps and I don't think they're particularly dangerous [unless threatened]. Shortly after my first encounter, we discovered a "tunnel" in our front flower bed, and research led to discovering what the wasp was. Then, once, I heard a cicada "flying" across the yard -- looked, and it was a wasp transporting a cicada by air! This was the first time we saw one in the process of capturing its prey -- pretty cool! Here's a pic I found showing one relative to person's hand -- NOT mine, I might add!

And now, @addy1 -- I didn't mean to steal your thread! -- those are fantastic pics! Did you watch the drama unfold?

 

[Marshall]

I just spoke to a dragonfly at my pond and he said to let you know that his attorney will be contacting you On a serious note though very cool image

 

[addy1]

And now, @addy1 -- I didn't mean to steal your thread! -- those are fantastic pics! Did you watch the drama unfold?

No problem steal anytime you want to.

I didn't see it get caught, but did sit a bit and listen to the spider munch on its head. I tried to tape it, but I was hand holding a telephoto shot and it wiggled way to much

 

[AJ1500]

the cicada killers are actually hornets, the male is the larger and does not have a stinger. it seems our pond has attracted them as I had never seen them before we put the pond in. the hornets will show up buzzing the pond then a few days later they would start catching the cicadas and taking them to their nest
haven't seen any of the hornets yet this year but the cicadas are out now

 

[Mmathis]

@AJ1500 Nope, they're actually wasps. Just like "cow killer ants" or Velvet ants aren't ants at all, but ARE wasps. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus

It is strange how insects are often misidentified: At Boy Scout camp a few weeks ago I spent some time around the "nature" area where they were teaching all the nature-related merit badges. The instructor had a captured cicada and asked the scouts what it was. One boy said "cicada" and the instructor said no, that it was a locust...... Um, sorry but..... Yes, around here they are often referred to as locusts, but locusts are grasshoppers -- when conditions are ripe and they swarm [as in Biblical texts], for some reason the name changes from "grasshopper" to "locust." Go figure!

 

[addy1]

lol I went to a bee meeting, with a great speaker a biologist, he kept calling the bees ..........................animals! But his talk was wonderful
They are considered a super organism.