What's happening here - wasp? wasps?

[colingj]

This is a strange thing that I saw on the Mile End Road in London a couple of weeks ago (October 2011). It was flying around. It was about 2cm long, I think.

It looks like two wasp-like creatures that have become entangled in some way. I had three unconvincing thoughts about what might be going on:

1. Some kind of mating - but I don't think that insects like this mate directly, but that queens lay eggs which are then fertilised separately.
2. Some kind of skin shedding? But they don't seem to be in the right orientation for this.
3. The creature on the back is stinging the one in front.

Any idea what is happening here?

[nutmeg]

Hi and welcome.

Your first suggestion is correct - this is a mating pair of wasps.

[eucera]

And they are a pair of Vespula germanica

[Matt Smith]

Originally Posted by colingj

This is a strange thing that I saw on the Mile End Road in London a couple of weeks ago (October 2011). It was flying around. It was about 2cm long, I think.

It looks like two wasp-like creatures that have become entangled in some way. I had three unconvincing thoughts about what might be going on:
[*]Some kind of mating - but I don't think that insects like this mate directly, but that queens lay eggs which are then fertilised separately.

Bees and wasps do mate "directly", it is the female who has the ability to lay eggs that are either fertilised ( = female offspring) or unfertilized (= male offspring).