Eric, the Half-a-Bee?

[silversolitaire]

Okay, that doesn't really fit, but this week's Doctor Who episode definitely made me sing that song in my head all the time now! *g*

And right on cue, I had the opportunity today to snap a couple of pictures of a hornet! I want to share them with you because I think they're most amazing!



Isn't she just so beautiful?



Er yes, my funky fingernails are showing on this one! ^^;;; I was experimenting with some new nail polish I got for my toes to match my new sandals... uhm, yeah.



If I'm not mistaken, this is a European Hornet. When I stop being lazy, I'll take out my snazzy entomology book I got from no_ron and do a proper taxonomy.





So fuzzy! <3



This is the most amazing shot ever. How often do you get to see the bottom of a hornet! Fantastic! As you can see, she was busy drinking up the drops on the glass! *g*



Close-up on head. So sleek and beautiful!

And just to clear up with a myth? Hornets are not dangerous. Their sting is actually less poisonous than the one of a wasp and just about as painful, and they are in fact a lot less aggressive than wasps. So, stop trying to kill those poor creatures all the time. No wonder they're endangered.

Comments

[no-ron.livejournal.com]

i may be wrong, but i think what you have there is a yellowjacket (Paravespula).
a hornet is somewhat larger (although that part is a bit hard to judge from the pics alone) and the darks of its thorax are more brownish than black. also, i doubt you'd want to mess around with a hornet on a glass.. it's quite respect-commanding. :)

very cool pics. insect anatomy is quite amazing! *_*