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Red Raiders: Predatory Drama

swellcat

swellcat

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Hmm . . . what's this?  A bird-seed generator?
 
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Aerial assault
 
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[Remember, the camera, zoomed in, sees more than the person holding it.  That person assumed Mr. Cardinal was shredding ají amarillo pods to get at the delicious seeds.]
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At this point, the camera holder couldn't stand to see his precious pods shredded anymore, so he moved in to shoo away the bold, persistent cardinal.
 
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Oops.  That's no pod.  What a dumb human.
 
 
[continued below]
 
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Partially gutted and apparently lifeless, but still attached with a death grip
 
The human moved the hornworm carcass to the top of the nearest tomato stake in hopes Mr. Cardinal might return and claim his hard-earned prize.
 
 
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Another red raider on-scene
 
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I'll have the ball of green goo to-go, please.
 
 
 
Nature's so peaceful, isn't it. :twisted:
 
Wish the photo quality were better.  Low light, zoom, motion from wind and wings, scratched lens—I've seen better from a drunk with a cell phone.
 
red raider... did you go to texas tech?
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No, but Tar Heels didn't fit the theme.
 
Another meal was found this morning.
 
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Mr. Cardinal does have a family to feed.
 
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jakester said:
Absolutely fantastic thread and pics. I HATE hornworms. And that wasp is straight from Hell!
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Really the coolest looking wasp I've ever seen, and there are a ton of wicked species out there.
 
Damn man, i got the heebie jeebies when I saw that wasp... crazy though!  what is that thing called?  Crazy how the cardinal spotted the hornworm, its so well comoed its virtually invisible to the naked eye unless you are right on top of it.
 
I'd guess the bee is a paper wasp from the Polistes genus . . . maybe P. carolina. 
 
"Hell Wasp" could've been a good partial title; they seem to be hell on hornworms.
 
Adult paper wasps are efficient predators, mostly of caterpillars. They carry them back to the nest and feed them to the developing larvae.

Prey:  Wide variety of caterpillars including corn earworms, armyworms, loopers, and hornworms are used as food for paper wasp young.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     — Beneficials in the Garden - Donya Camp
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August often brings north Texas Old-Testament intensity grasshopper plagues.  That's when I see the most wasps, and it may be when they're most needed.
 
 
 
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