Seen today in the garden - White Admiral & Mason Wasp (?)

[exo]

Not 100% sure what the original / current purpose of these forums are,
is this sort of 'what I saw today' thing (with mediocre photos) really OK to post ?

Anyway, it's the first White Admiral I've seen for many a year,
and a 'mason' wasp = different to the usual bluebottle-catching ground 'digger' wasps I get loads of.

[Za]

The wasp looks like it has a little face and 2 horns on its back. Nice picture of the White Admiral.
Za

[Littlesparrow]

Lovely photo of the White Admiral exo, i don't think Ive ever seen one. Ive got tree wasps in a bush in the garden at the moment, they are busy little creatures and interesting to watch.

[exo]

Thanks - that very charitable , wish it has stayed longer for a better lit photo though.

Is it a tree wasp ? - I was thinking potter or mason,
particularly since it was sealing up a hole in the wall with mud.

Or are these all synonymous names ?

I'll see if I can find a wasp showing the face of the Madonna

btw just realised my original post could be taken as some sort of comment about
other posts on the forum - it wasn't mean't that way - it was just a straight question.

[Jason Green]

Evening Exo

Originally Posted by exo

is this sort of 'what I saw today' thing (with mediocre photos) really OK to post ?

It certainly is! I think your wasp is a so-called Mason Wasp (Vespidae; Eumeninae), and I believe an Ancistrocerus species.

It is, however, very difficult to be sure from this angle, there are a couple of odd aspects to it - but maybe more signatory of a species I am inexperienced with. These are best done under the microscope, of course.

Take care,

Jason

[exo]

Thanks once again Jason,
looking around its seems there are details required to get a positive ID of these wasps,
that as you say would require a 'hands on' specimen.

But actually I was wondering if high detail photos from various angles
(assuming a cooperative subject) would be as good, or not.

I've observed coleopterists in the back rooms at the Natural History Museum
staring down microscopes at small rove beetles trying to categorise them
by the minute details,
but surely if it's a case of an exact number or shape of this or that feature,
then good photos would do the same job?

[Deb London]

Very jealous of the White Admiral. Well done! Nice wasp too.

[Littlesparrow]

I hadn't intended to infer your wasp wasp Tree wasp indeed it is different, mine are little miniature stripy things.