Giant Willow aphids and photobombing wasps!

[Paul Iddon]

What was meant to be a few photos of Giant Willow Aphids, became a 100 photo session with them and a group of six wasps that gate-crashed (photobombed?) the party. This post shows just 15, but I had a great time watching and snapping away! I couldn't get too close with all them buzzing around my head - I was leaning into a salix shrub!

Paul.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Are the wasps after the sap of the cut branch?

…or other insects?

 

[Paul Iddon]

The wasps glean the honeydew left by the aphids - though they are not "farmed" like ants do with other aphids species and do not take it directly from them.

Paul.

 

[Maris Rusis]

Paul Iddon, that's a marvellous series on the Giant Willow Aphid. The darn things have recently arrived in Australia and have probably come from New Zealand carried on storm winds.
The Giant Willow Aphid is a marvel of reproductive efficiency. They are all female, no males have ever been found, and they give birth to great numbers of live young. Alate and apterous forms arise depending on how crowded the colony gets.
Some local ants tend these aphids for the honeydew. Some local ladybird beetles like to eat them raw.

 

[Paul Iddon]

Paul Iddon, that's a marvellous series on the Giant Willow Aphid. The darn things have recently arrived in Australia and have probably come from New Zealand carried on storm winds.
The Giant Willow Aphid is a marvel of reproductive efficiency. They are all female, no males have ever been found, and they give birth to great numbers of live young. Alate and apterous forms arise depending on how crowded the colony gets.
Some local ants tend these aphids for the honeydew. Some local ladybird beetles like to eat them raw.

This is the first time I have actually seen them myself, despite many photos from friends/forum associates that had before me. I never realised how large they are.

Paul.

 

[Pao Dolina]

Awesome images through and through

 

[Paul Iddon]

Awesome images through and through

Thank you kindly

Paul.