Cuckoo Wasp

Cuckoo Wasp on June 22, 2020. While there were strong storms heading into the area, I was outside on the balcony to bring the chairs in. I looked into a bucket that had water from the prior rain and noted a larger green bug swimming around, not knowing the ID. I used one of the small sticks I keep outside for scooping up bugs to fish it out of the water. I brought the formerly unidentified bug in the house briefly to show my husband how rich and beautiful the colors were. I set it back outside and attached my macro lens to get some photos of it.

I had forgotten how humid it was outside and needed to keep wiping my lens off due to condensation. This wasp was getting ansy and I knew I didn't have much time to get some photos of it. As mentioned in my prior article, I don't often shoot a high ISO unless I would miss the shot otherwise. It came out well despite that. I was able to get a couple minutes photographing before its wings were dry enough and it flew away pissily, not listening to my pleas to hang around awhile.

This is not the first wasp that I have rescued from drowning. I did the same down along the Patuxent Branch Trail last fall with a different wasp type and it also did not stick around after its wings were fine to fly.

Lens - Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens on Nikon D500