Post by cavalierlover on Jan 17, 2022 19:31:57 GMT -8
Hello! I'm *very* new here and created this account to ask a couple of questions. I'm not an entomologist or wouldn't even call myself an "insect hobbyist" so I'm not sure if I really "belong" here, but I'll try this out. Of course, I don't mind bugs or insects, and I'd go as far to say I quite enjoy most of them and find some fascinating, one of which is the subject of this post. This past summer I was by a pool and happened to glance over at the grassy area that met with the concrete and saw a very strange insect. It was orange and yellow like a wasp, but had blue wings like that of what I call a dirt dauber (not sure if that's what they're called around here, that's just what I hear everyone around me call them). I was intrigued and a little on-edge considering this bug looked like a very harmful looking wasp. (Of course, I know now it's very unlikely I would get stung as long as I kept my distance.) I did some research but couldn't find out what it was, so I shook it off. The next day, however, it was there again, disappearing into a hole and reappearing a moment later with an armload of dirt that was deposited away from the hole. I watched this process being repeated for hours and I was finally able to find out what this wasp was - a Great Golden Sand Digger. I learned more about this insect (but again, I'm nowhere close to an expert) and was so interested in this bug! I would return for weeks and there she'd be, digging out her tunnel, and sometimes I'd be lucky enough to watch her drag the paralyzed grasshopper underground for her young to eventually eat. Once she'd do this, she would waste no time and dig another burrow. I watched her (or possibly a different Great Golden Sand Digger) for months do this and it never got old watching her work away. My question is: why haven't I ever heard about or seen one of these wasps before??? It's not like they're uncommon, right? The wasp I found was in the mountains of NC. I've tried to learn more about them but I haven't found too many resources about them despite how cool they are! Is there a reason why there doesn't appear to be much info on these insects, and is there a place where I can learn more about them?
Thanks in advance. Like I said, not sure if this forum is for people like me who aren't very educated on insects in general, but I am interested in learning more.
Also, here's a photo of the Digger I was talking about. Unfortunately it's just a picture of the screen that I took it of on an actual camera and now I can't find the original photo.
I have a couple of videos of her dragging grasshoppers in her burrow but can't seem to find a way to upload them straight from my camera roll?
ibb.co/album/hLWLXy
(Image)
Thanks in advance. Like I said, not sure if this forum is for people like me who aren't very educated on insects in general, but I am interested in learning more.
Also, here's a photo of the Digger I was talking about. Unfortunately it's just a picture of the screen that I took it of on an actual camera and now I can't find the original photo.
I have a couple of videos of her dragging grasshoppers in her burrow but can't seem to find a way to upload them straight from my camera roll?
ibb.co/album/hLWLXy
(Image)