Incredible Image of Bubble-Blowing Wasp Has a Scientific Explanation
By Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer | October 27, 2017 10:34am ET
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An artfully positioned rose is reflected in a spit-globe produced by a Malaysian wasp.
Credit: Lim Choo How/Caters
A jaw-dropping image of what appeared to be a bubble-blowing wasp balancing the liquid sphere on its front legs captivated Reddit users yesterday (Oct. 26). But what's the wasp actually doing?
Several of the industrious insects were recently observed with droplets dangling from their mouths. Turns out, they were removing excess moisture from their nest by hoovering up water and then expelling it as minuscule water globes, which makes the wasps look like they're blowing perfectly round bubbles.
Photographer Lim Choo How captured stunning close-up images of these busy wasps with tiny beads of liquid emerging from their mouths, as they worked to dry off a nest in a factory compound in Kedah, Malaysia, earlier this year. [Gallery: Dazzling Photos of Dew-Covered Insects]
Once a wasp expels a droplet, it flicks the water away with its forelegs. A group of wasps can be seen working together on a vertical strip of nest material, in a video shot by How and posted to YouTube on June 22.
More:
https://www.livescience.com/60793-water-droplet-wasp.html?utm_source=notification