A late start of spring

Despite the mild winter, spring is taking a while to start. It has been very windy and cool of late. The last few days have been noticeably milder and still, almost warm when the sun came out. My first Anthophora plumipes male came out on the 12th of March, a bit late, but not unusual. Then there has been a few queen bumblebees and honeybees. The striking thing is that I haven't seen a butterfly this spring yet. A queen wasp bumped against the conservatory window a few days ago, but I couldn't identify it to species. Today, I found a very sluggish queen Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris, inside the conservatory. Spring is slowly, but surely, on its way.

Hunting wasps

There are few things reminding me more of the end of summer than hunting wasps. Today, a buzzing ball of fury fell on the pavement in front of me. A common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, holding on a male Eristalis dronefly, desperately trying to escape. The wasp held onto the dronefly's legs, chewing three of them and a wing off, and rendering the dronefly defenceless.

A loose leg and a wing are visible

I was amazed by the determination of the wasp, which was thrown about by the hoverfly while it was only holding by the hoverfly's abdomen.A very short clip shows moments after they landed.

First queen wasp

The first queen wasp of the year got herself trapped in the conservatory. She was cold and calm, so I decided to give her a session with the white bowl. I held her in a tissue and placed her onto the bowl and she posed nicely. After a few photos, with me breathing onto her, she warmed up, started grooming her antennae and flew onto the window, and I let her go.
 The only overwintering stage of social wasps are queens. Males died at the end of the autumn after mating, and the workers a bit earlier. Their large paper nests are now empty, as the life cycle of social wasps lasts for less than one year. Queens overwinter in buildings or other dry places, but the strong wind and mild temperatures have probably helped stir this one out of her hiding place.
 The 'anchor mark' on her face identifies her as a common wasp, Vespula vulgaris.

Side view showing how hairy she is.

And a little grooming of antennae before flying off.