They came from the ground in thousands, Double Drummer cicadas (a few other kinds of cicadas as well). My wife was wearing ear plugs in the garden because the noise was so loud and these wasps could not catch enough.
They dug their metre deep holes in the sandy soil and I counted over a hundred mounds, the wasps dragged the cicadas along the ground on their backs quite fast over anything in their way, even my bare arm, which I lay in front of them. If they came across large pieces of sticks or bark they used their wings for extra thrust to climb over. Each wasp paralysed about half a dozen cicadas. This all lasted about eight weeks. The wasps were territorial and protected their burrows/holes as you can see in the first photo.
Absolutely fascinating!!!!! I have never seen anything like it. Fantastic photos
M-L
Thanks ML it is the first time for me to. I seen them dragging spiders before but not like this. So it was a good time to try out my macro lens.
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
Amazing series & storyboard of shots Darin!! I'm in awe of all of these - fantastic!
West Coast Tasmania
I saw some of these a couple of weeks ago at Cowan doing the same thing dragging a cicada along the ground. I was wondering to myself what the hell he was going to do with it. The cicada was three times the size of the not insignificant sized wasp. I was also thinking that I would not like to have one of those angry at me.
Great shots Darin, I've never heard of these. By all accounts it's been a record (or at least once a decade) cicada season this year across NSW at least.
My nieces had great fun with cicadas over Christmas, collecting shells and dead cicadas though they were less keen when it came to live ones.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
The irruption of certain species is a fascinating phenomenon. I wish we knew more about the whys & wherefores. At my place on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty ranges SA I've seen irruptions of wanderer butterflies & yellow-plumed honeyeaters. I've also seen an irruption of black-tailed native hens in the Coorong SA.
Very interesting. We have cicadas for the irst time in 15 years on our property. And lots of them too. I just love the noise they make, can't be loud enough for me.Reminds me of my childhood in the South of France.
M-L
I agree - I love the loud cicadas as well. Reminds me of growing up around Newcastle (NSW).
The ones we get up here in Qld aren't quite so large or noisy, so you don't get quite the same deafening buzz of summer.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
I think you would have to be half deaf to enjoy their noise
A clip on Cicada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjLiWy2nT7U
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
That is amazing. If David is right, that means 17 years ago there must have been swarms of cicadas on our property. That could be right, that would be why I haven't heard any before, we've only been here for 15 years.
And I have noticed countless holes in the ground too.
M-L