reiner's Favorites

Comparison Obs plz leave at genus.

This obs is to prove that I can ID male Vespula wasps from pictures provided that the right characteristics are visible in the pics. I caught these males and predicted from left that the first two were vulgaris the middle one a melanistic germanica and the last two germanica then I photographed the relevant bits and then dissected their sexual organs to confirm species 100%.

Pic 1, from left v1, v2, mg, g1, g2
pic 2 - 5 v1
pic 6,7 v2
pic 8-11 mg
pic 12 - 15 g1
pic 16 -17 g2
pic 18 aedeagus left vulgaris round with hooks, germanica, indented end with no hooks.

Spotted this snake chase a skink across the road. It seemed like the skink could easily outpace the snake but only for short distances and then needed to rest. Within a minute the skink was caught and the snake tried to swallow it but couldn't do so as the lizard had bitten on to the snakes "cheek". Eventually the snake worked things out but it took over 2 minutes.