Wasps and Milkweed

It’s always a treat to come upon a blooming desert milkweed Esclepias subulata in the Sonoran desert. There were two tarantula (Pepsis) wasps and five thread-waisted (Sphecid) wasps this particular morning. The pepsis, bedeckled in dew drops, were resting on a voluptuous inflorescence while the Sphecid wasps were clinging awkwardly, motionless, to the stems. I began photographing them while they were still as manakins. The sun peaked the horizon and landed on the milkweed. The wasps began to stir. Their antennae pivoted about and the pepsis started feeding on the flowers. The Sphecidae remained glued to their anchor points as their antennae continued probing for signals. Then a cloud obscured the sun and the wasps froze once again.