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 Ants on dead wasp
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| HTK |
Posted on 28-03-2022 23:27
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Member Location: Mechernich-Satzvey (near Cologne), Germany Posts: 226 Joined: 16.05.13 |
This dead wasp was drifting on the water of our garden pond on the fringe of the hillside area of the Eifel in West Germany on April 26, 2019. I detected several tiny insects that were leaving the body of the dead wasp at the rear end and climbing about just above the water surface. To me they look like Xenos vesparum. Your help would be appreciated.
HTK attached the following image:  [35.26Kb] Edited by HTK on 29-03-2022 12:38 |
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| HTK |
Posted on 28-03-2022 23:28
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Member Location: Mechernich-Satzvey (near Cologne), Germany Posts: 226 Joined: 16.05.13 |
Another picture.
HTK attached the following image:  [77.31Kb] |
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| HTK |
Posted on 28-03-2022 23:29
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Member Location: Mechernich-Satzvey (near Cologne), Germany Posts: 226 Joined: 16.05.13 |
A third picture.
HTK attached the following image:  [80.97Kb] |
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| Paul Beuk |
Posted on 29-03-2022 07:46
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 Super Administrator Location: Netherlands Posts: 19363 Joined: 11.05.04 |
These are ants. To me they look similar to Leptothorax unifasciatus but I can imagine there are similar looking species in the Eifel area.
Paul - - - - Paul Beuk on https://diptera.info |
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| HTK |
Posted on 29-03-2022 12:35
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Member Location: Mechernich-Satzvey (near Cologne), Germany Posts: 226 Joined: 16.05.13 |
Hi Paul, thanks a lot for your comment. Sounds very plausible. In the species list of Naturpark Nordeifel I found Leptothorax acervorum, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any other small ant species in our area. On checking Xenos vesparum again I realized that they have no legs, so they're definitely out. Looks like the small ants were feeding on the dead wasp when it was blown into the water. |
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| Ilia Ogol |
Posted on 01-04-2022 15:56
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Member Location: Donetsk Posts: 5 Joined: 29.03.22 |
Xenos vesparum males have not only legs, but also wings. But they, of course, have nothing to do with this photo. By the way, Xenos vesparum parasitizes Polistes, and in the photo - Vespula or Dolichovespula. |
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| HTK |
Posted on 01-04-2022 18:43
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Member Location: Mechernich-Satzvey (near Cologne), Germany Posts: 226 Joined: 16.05.13 |
Hallo Ilia, thank you for setting the record straight. |
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