Four Banded Stink Bug Wasp

Well, that is quite a mouthful of a name, isn't it?  It is not a wasp I see often (some years not at all) so when I spotted it in the pollinator garden, I was immediately on it (from a distance with 300 mm lens!). Like most all of the solitary wasps, this creature is not aggressive at all and you'd actually have to put some effort into getting stung by one.  The adults feed on pollen, ripe fruit and insect excretions (honeydew) but where things get interesting is in what they feed their larva.  As the name implies, these wasps exclusively hunt stink bugs (shield bugs).  They sting it to paralyze it and then take it to the nest where they will lay an egg on/in it.  The larva, when it hatches, feeds on the stink bug.  This makes these wasps friends of gardeners since stink bugs tend to enjoy tender greens and veggies.  

In addition to this beauty, I also got some good shots of the Great Black Wasps and several thread-waisted wasps as well as some butterflies.  A fun time in the garden.  

Started the day with a FT call with my parents.  I can hardly believe that in probably less than 2 months they will be here!.  

After chatting with my parents, Hubs and I took Jax to the vet.  Last year we had his teeth cleaned and a growth from his gum removed and tested for cancer.  It came back as benign but the vet said there was a chance it would grow back (a 17% chance to be precise).  It did indeed grow back and is so large now that it is changing his bite and he avoids using that side of his mouth.  She is recommending removing it along with the tooth it is next too which would allow them to go in deeper and remove any "roots".  Hate to put the boy through that, but we can't let it remain in his mouth and continue to grow so we have an appointment on the 4th.  I talked to her (vet) about how unsettled and jittery he was after anesthesia the last time so she is going to use a different drug cocktail this time to see if that helps.  He was surprisingly good in the office today and even let her look in his mouth (after lots of treats and kisses).  I love that she gets right down on the floor with the pets to put them at ease.  

Hot and humid again today and rain in the forecast for tomorrow.  I will be photographing a dog obedience trial tomorrow which I am really looking forward to.  Quite a few of the dogs are ones I've photographed before so it will be fun to try some new angles, etc.  And the owners always seem so appreciative of the photos, which is nice.  

All of my first batch of 11 monarch caterpillars have either pupated or are getting ready to so the big rush to keep them supplied with fresh milkweed is over.  That said, I gathered a bunch of milkweed in the garden today that had either tiny caterpillars or eggs so Round 2 is officially underway.  There is something very soothing to me about tending the caterpillars each summer.  And now that I have come to terms with leaving a lot of them in the garden, the whole process is easier.  

xoxo
Debbi