Question about this hornet

Hi. I'm new to macro, having just purchased a 100 2.8 lens. This weekend I came across a hornet with wilted wings, and took some photos (I know the shots aren't perfect). After getting home and looking at the shots, I realized that it had something in its mouth. Just wondering if any of you can enlighten me as to what it is.

Thanks in advance, and let me say that you guys take amazing photos.

1. Hornet:

Lovely captures.

No idea of the meal, sorry.

I don't think it's a meal, but it's mouth parts. The big scissor parts that we easily see most of the time are just for holding onto things, but the mouth parts extend out. Think of the movie "Alien".

I think it is a Paper Wasp, rather than a hornet, and it is in the middle of pupation. During this time, the wings would be soft like chewing-gum, and by pumping air into the wing ribs, they elongate, and take their final size and shape, before drying and stiffening.

I am not an expert, nor have I seen this in wasp, but I have seen dragonflies pupating many times, and their wings look a lot like this then.

Can't give you any insight into your questions, I know I have not seen anything like it before

Good captures- as already commented the wings did not expand properly when the wasp emerged from the pupa and the mouth things are just the extensible mouth parts belonging to the wasp
Brian v.

That is one fast wasp to set his wings on fire. Great photos.
Darts

Nice find!

Thanks for the replies. I learned a lot!