Hubert Polacek
Faces of parasitism
Portraits of Polistes dominula wasp male (right) and strepsipteran parasite Xenos vesparum male puparia (left) in the same scale photos.
I had spent 2 weeks observing these parasites and waiting for their (males) emergence. Left picture was probably the most contributional to previous knowledge about Xenos vesparum - pale puparium on the right extruded several days after the left one and definitely after the wasp eclosion.
Newer puparium extrusion was preceded by hemolymph leakage from the surrounding of the older one, therefore I concentrated to the wasp and made some photos - remaining droplets are still there.
Taken with Pentax *ist D camera and Soligor 100mm macro lens with some extensions (time data presented belong to the wasp portrait).
Faces of parasitism
Portraits of Polistes dominula wasp male (right) and strepsipteran parasite Xenos vesparum male puparia (left) in the same scale photos.
I had spent 2 weeks observing these parasites and waiting for their (males) emergence. Left picture was probably the most contributional to previous knowledge about Xenos vesparum - pale puparium on the right extruded several days after the left one and definitely after the wasp eclosion.
Newer puparium extrusion was preceded by hemolymph leakage from the surrounding of the older one, therefore I concentrated to the wasp and made some photos - remaining droplets are still there.
Taken with Pentax *ist D camera and Soligor 100mm macro lens with some extensions (time data presented belong to the wasp portrait).