Comments on: Bizarre and vibrant: getting to know Montana’s cuckoo wasps

By: Shane Sater

Shane Sater — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 21:16:02 +0000

In reply to Rick Nordquist. Hi Rick, Your mystery insects certainly might be cuckoo wasps - there are various species in California, too! Of course, there are other iridescent green insects, as well, so identification can be tricky. If you're able to get a good photo of them and want to figure out whether they may be cuckoo wasps, one resource I recommend for naturalists in the US and Canada is BugGuide, which can help provide identifications from photos. iNaturalist is another option.

By: Rick Nordquist

Rick Nordquist — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 20:40:59 +0000

I live in Irvine, CA. When I was leaving the garage for the house yesterday afternoon, I saw two flying insects that I thought were flies buzzing around the door. And they caught my attention because they were the most vivid iridescent green color, but the photos I took with my phone camera were unable to quite capture it. And of course the insects were not cooperating with having their picture taken. But I’d never seen them before and the coloration was absolutely brilliant. And also interesting was the fact that they could stay together and find each other as they flew around which by human-size comparison would be similar to two people being blocks apart. I think they must have been Montana Cuckoo Wasps, but in Southern CA??

By: Shane Sater

Shane Sater — Wed, 03 May 2023 20:08:04 +0000

In reply to Connie Geiger. Thanks Connie, I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed this so much! Insects are so diverse that sometimes it seems difficult to write about them in a way that's accurate but also understandable. Glad that the photos helped.

By: Connie Geiger

Connie Geiger — Tue, 02 May 2023 23:01:07 +0000

Fascinating article!! Such an in depth, but understandable, exploration of a complex micro world. The beautiful photos were also VERY helpful, particularly when trying to understand the identification differences. Thank you!