I put the dead Velvet wasp on a table, and in minutes a common wasp came and started dissecting it. Good for a comparison in size, a Velvet wasp is large, but not as large as a hornet wasp.
#vespavulgaris #vespavelutina #commonwasp #velvetwasp #naturephotography #macro

Velvet wasp, vespa velutina

Velvet wasp, Vespa velutina

Velvet wasp, Vespa velutina

My first velvet wasp, Vespa velutina, probably not the last. It is a species expanding northward.
I found it dead, so could scrutinize it in detail.
#vespavelutina #velvetwasp #invasivespecies #expansion #naturephotography #mougins #macrophotography #P40/1.7