Photography
Related: About this forumCicada killers return
Very difficult to get close, very skittish so macro is out of the question. Here I use the 800mm pf which has a minimum focusing distance of 16ft, so they are not bothered. They act like dragonflies, resting on a leaf, only to dart off and seem to chase something in the air. What I'm reading is these are the males and are chasing off other males, all the while the females are out catching and stinging cicadas and bringing them back to the nest to lay her eggs on.





perfessor
(402 posts)Great shots.
HAB911
(10,728 posts)cachukis
(4,213 posts)HAB911
(10,728 posts)-misanthroptimist
(1,944 posts)The first time I saw one, my children were still toddlers. I had no idea what it was, but it looked like something I didn't want around the kids. I called the local university entomology department to find out what it was. (This was in the days before the internet.) The person I spoke to was very nice and explained that they are not at all aggressive. Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone.
But they look dangerous.
Oh, and very nice pics.
HAB911
(10,728 posts)mwmisses4289
(5,188 posts)Gorgeous pics!
HAB911
(10,728 posts)Delarage
(2,644 posts)But this seems like typcial male behavior these days---sitting around on a couch (or leaf) while the women are out working, bringing home the bacon, giving birth, and then raising the kids. At least these males get off the couch for a while to defend the home so the women can come home an work.
HAB911
(10,728 posts)I'll go a step further and say we should have women take a turn at running things, men don't have that good a track record
Walleye
(45,847 posts)HAB911
(10,728 posts)twodogsbarking
(19,871 posts)HAB911
(10,728 posts)Farmer-Rick
(12,867 posts)I always wondered what they were. Now tell me, what are those white and purple large waspy looking things I see every around my veggies?
Seems to me that as the bee population has dwindled, the wasp population has grown. Have they taken over the bees' niche?
HAB911
(10,728 posts)and may be why my everglade tomato plants look good but not producing
Grumpy Old Guy
(4,430 posts)HAB911
(10,728 posts)PatSeg
(54,071 posts)Thank you for sharing.
HAB911
(10,728 posts)yardwork
(70,005 posts)I look forward to seeing them every year.
CaliforniaPeggy
(157,262 posts)I am glad to see you posting so much! Your work is superb and gorgeous. Thank you for sharing your creativity!
HAB911
(10,728 posts)I'm having fun and not getting any younger (although my PSA is down to .3)!
George McGovern
(13,501 posts)HAB911
(10,728 posts)The Madcap
(2,176 posts)Those things can pack a wallop. Cicada killers live in ground burrows. European hornets build large above ground nests.
HAB911
(10,728 posts)for about four years now, throwing dirt all in my screen room, lol.