Potter wasp

Eumeninae

Insect wings are surprisingly complex structures and at high magnification all manner of microscopic surface details become apparent. In the case of this potter wasp, large sections of the wing possess a covering of extremely small hairs or macrotrichia. These are likely to have an aerodynamic function and influence air-flow over the wing.

Collector: G. B. Longstaff
India, 1908

In unfamiliar environments, learning where to look and what to look for are essential in natural history collecting. However, the contributions of people with local knowledge are often overlooked in the historical record. The English collector of this wasp, G.B. Longstaff, was an amateur entomologist. In his book Butterfly hunting in many lands, Longstaff details the specimens he collected and some of the people he worked with, including Ceylon-born English entomologist ‘Mr E. E. Green’, but indigenous collaborators are referred to as ‘natives’ rather than by name.