Ichneumon Wasp

[jomike]

I have been seeing a large number of these wasps recently, but in the hot weather they are just too active to get a shot of. The rain and cooler weather today slowed this one down enough for me to get a shot of it.
This was taken with natural light, the way I prefer. I find macros with flash are either too bright or look flat IMO. It is uncropped and a straight raw to jpeg conversion in Lightroom 2.1 using the DX2 mode 3 preset.


Camera: Nikon D90
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/13.0
Focal Length: 90 mm
Lens: Tamron 90mm macro
ISO Speed: 800

 

[Deleted member 3428]

Stunning Ichneumon Mike, did it stop still for you all is it like the rest of that family and continually move about? I get very frustrated with these sometimes trying to pin them down. :thumb:

 

[jomike]

Stunning Ichneumon Mike, did it stop still for you all is it like the rest of that family and continually move about? I get very frustrated with these sometimes trying to pin them down. :thumb:

Thanks Alby, this one was still moving about, but slower than usual, so I managed to get a few shots in.

 

[MickSmithNE]

I've not seen these wasps up North, don't really want to!
Great photo - well done

 

[Robbo]

that look lovely, very nice yellows

 

[damage]

This is something i have never seen, Great shot

 

[jomike]

Wow, bit of a thread revival here, nearly forgotten about this one. Thanks all.

Although Ichneumons belong to the wasp family, they do not sting. Instead the female uses her sting like oviposter to lay eggs in other insects and spiders. When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the victim from the inside out.

 

[Martin England]

Great looking wasp, nice picture

 

[animal168]

very nice, great colours
now try getting one on a sunny day in august