The Aldo Leopold of wasps

"Wasp Farm" is easy to read, interesting, fascinating, even funny. It's one of the better popularized works on natural history I've read. The book was published already in 1963. My copy used to be the property of the Franklin Public Library in Ohio.

The author, Howard Ensign Evans, bought a farm and eight acres of land in upstate New York with the sole purpose to study wasps. Hence, the name Wasp Farm. His wife was in on it, too. The kids were not. The family eventually had to sell Wasp Farm and move to Suburbia. Personally, I can't stand insects, but I like the author's single-minded determination. I guess Evans is the Aldo Leopold or Thoreau of wasps!

Evans deliberately kept his farm and the adjacent garage in unkempt condition, nor did he remove weeds or brambles from his land. Pruning the apple trees was another no-no. Unsurprisingly, Wasp Farm soon attracted more than its fair share of bugs. That, after all, was the point.

The wasps described in the book belong to the families Vespidae, Sphecidae and Pompilidae. Most are solitary, but one chapter deals with the social wasps, including yellow jackets and the Black Paper Wasp. Among more exotic creatures covered are Isodontia, the only wasp that builds nests of grass, the scavenging Microbembex, and a spider wasp that walks on water and even dives (!). The author also discusses whether or not the wasp known as Ammophila really uses tools.

Since "Wasp Farm" was written in 1963, some of the research may be out of date. Or it may not. A scientific book from 2001, "Solitary Wasps", still quote a research paper written by Evans over 40 years ago! I suppose it's hard to get research grants to study Microbembex.

Reading "Wasp Farm", on the other hand, wasn't hard at all. Recommended for both wasp-lovers (a small minority, I gather) and the general reader.