September 9, 2009 | 
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Paper Wasp (Polistes annularis) I *think*
I saw this Paper Wasp (Polistes annularis) while taking a walk through the forest. At first he caught my attention simply because of his size, contrast to the tree limb, and close proximity. Then I noticed that he was eating something…looks like the remnants of a caterpillar. I took a series of rapid-fire pictures to make this animated GIF file, and you can see that he is rapidly rotating his tasty green meal for choice bites.
Just a patch of forest floor?
Just a patch of forest floor?
Look closer:
Is this a great camouflage, or what?! I think this is a moth, though I have not yet been able to identify it. I saw something flutter as I moved along the trail, and that is the ONLY way I would have noticed this amazing insect.
Out on a limb
It struck me as odd to come face-to-face with this land snail. I’m accustomed to seeing snails on the ground, in creeks and ponds, and under rocks. It never occurred to me that a snail would crawl up a tree, out onto a limb, then right on to a leaf and stick there. I’ve given up on trying to identify the species!
I think it is so neat to be able to see the snail (slug) is in his shell, all curled up. I’m not sure if the snail is there to eat, procreate, or pass-on. I guess I’m not even 100% sure the snail is really in there – but I’m thinking the darker area is where the snail is.
As I put this post together, I am reminded of how much I don’t know. No matter how much time I spend learning about birds, insects, mammals, native plants, etc – it seems like the body of knowledge I am attempting to learn keeps growing. Since I delight in new discoveries, this is exactly how I like it. Even those creatures who once frightened me (snakes, for instance), now fascinate me. I still think most parasitic organisms are yucky. This evening at my monthly Texas Master Naturalists meeting, I learned that fungi can parasitize an insect! Ga-ROSS! The more I learn, the more respect and appreciation I feel for my planet and its non-human inhabitants. 
Posted in Arthropods
Hi – Amber. I had a little “walk in the woods,” too, this morning in Las Colinas. Walked to a local Walgreen’s about 10 minutes away and on the way back to work, I heard a Blue Jay making a ruckus (near the intersection of MacArthur & Bond St.). I stopped and was peering in this heavily-leafed tree when all of a sudden on a low limb (no more than 10 feet above the ground) was a perfectly still Cooper’s Hawk. So that’s what all the noise was about. (Never did see the Blue Jay who obviously did not want the hawk around. Guess those guys have trouble traveling incognito when so many other birds are upset by their mere presence.)
See you Saturday at the FTLOTL cleanup. Anybody want to join us around 8:30 at White Rock Lake?
P. annularis is a great find. They’re large and colorful and gentle. They’re quite common in wooded areas.
And you’re absolutely right about the moth being invisible had you not seen it. Good catch!
As for your snail, it looks like it’s aestivating. Snails can hibernate in winter to get through the cold; they aestivate in summer to get through dry and/or hot periods. It’s not uncommon to see them climb up the sides of buildings and bushes/trees to find a bit of shade before entering this sleep-like state.
Looks like you had a great walk!
Incredible macro captures Amber! The animated wasp is very cool (you gotta click on the photo folks). And the moth is one of those amazing natural wonders.
I love your macro paper wasp photos. Watching the wasp roll that green bit of lunch was fascinating.
Glad you liked the mini-movie. No matter how much I think I appreciate nature, I am always amazed at the depth and breadth of the wildlife dramas playing out all around me. “Fascinating” is a perfect word to describe it!