macromerella

May 2006, Sai Kung Country Park. A female guarding her brood cells. As a rarity amongst the family (but present in some species of the sub-family), this species constructs entirely, mud cells out of sand and clay similarly to what would most Eumeninae (potter wasps) do.

May 2006, Sai Kung Country Park. A general view of the same nesting site. The female remains present on the cells a few days after the picture was taken. She inspects every so often the whole bunch of cells and then returns to its apical position on the leaf. The wasp display a clear defensive attitude, and a finger probed in the vicinity immediately generates a attack reaction. This unique behaviour is possibly to ward off parasites and predators as the cells are not concealed as with most Pompilidae.

May 2006, Sai Kung Country Park. A rare example of overlapping generations on a nesting site, premise to social organisation. The specimen at the bottom is seen provisioning a cell with a paralysed and dismembered spider