Emporer moth

Emporer moth
By Peter Byles

Monday 14 May 2018

Tree Wasp nest Dolichovespula sylvestris 12 5 2018 near Witch's Cauldron

Today a friend who lives near The Witch's Cauldron brought me this
exquisite little wasp's nest. It was hanging like a bell from the lintel of
a garden shed door frame.

 It is incredibly light and fragile and only about an inch across. As you
can see the outer casing is made up of three concentric 'bells' with an air
space between them. Excellent insulation design. It seems that the first
three hexagonal cells in the centre were constructed first. This left each
cell with three outer walls which were shared by the next ring of nine
hexagonal cells.

  From what I've looked up about Tree Wasps they have a short life cycle
which is all over by early summer except for queens hibernating and starting
a new nest the following year. I think this nest was only half built and
would have become more round in shape with a little hole in the base.

   Peter Byles.



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