DISCOVERY OF A POTTER WASP // A Macro Journey Into the Fascinating World of Tiny Insects

Good night to all my beloved hive friends ♥️

Let me introduce you to a potter wasp from the family “Vespidae.” This particular wasp is commonly found in plantations as well as along the edges of forests. However, they are not pests for farmers; instead, they can benefit agricultural ecosystems because adult wasps can prey on or hunt various insects and pests, such as caterpillars. The question is, does this particular wasp live in colonies, or does it live a solitary life.?

This particular wasp has a slender body with a very narrow waist that connects the abdomen to the thorax. In my opinion, this is one of the smallest types of wasps. This wasp also has a very beautiful coloration, with striking black-and-yellow patterns that really stand out. It is also an incredible architect that can build its nest from soil or mud. The nest itself looks very much like pottery, and that is the reason why this particular wasp is called a potter wasp.

I managed to find this particular wasp in my plantation. At that time, I found two of these wasps on one of the branches of a tree. I myself did not know what the two wasps were doing, and I also could not tell whether they were both females or a mating pair.

At first, I was a little hesitant to photograph both of these wasps together, but if I could manage to capture them in the same shot, it would be something truly amazing. We will never know the result if we never try.

At first, I had some difficulty because the two wasps kept moving around the branch, but I still had to be careful and maintain a safe distance so that I would not make them feel threatened. I started taking a very large number of photos. I did not worry about the results, because I was confident that out of the 50 photos I had taken, there would surely be a few that turned out well.

This is not about its small size, but rather because this particular wasp is very wild and constantly moving. Even after I tried to photograph it from a closer distance, one of the wasps eventually flew away.

There is actually nothing to worry about when it comes to the presence of this particular wasp. They live a solitary life and generally do not build large nests like many other wasps. This particular wasp is also not aggressive and prefers to avoid direct contact with humans, but it still has a stinger that it can use when it feels threatened.

I feel incredibly happy to have discovered these two wasps, and I also managed to capture their beauty quite well through my photographs.