LANDING AND TAKE-OFF FLIGHT BEHAVIOR OF T HE POTTER WASP ODYNERUS-RENIFORMIS AT ITS NESTING TUBE WITH AND WITHOUT A LOAD (HYMENOPTERA, EUMENIDAE)

Landing flights of the potter-wasp species Odynerus reniformis (Gmelin 1790) with and without prey (Phytonomus larvae) as well as take-off f lights with and without small lumps of clay, from video recordings mad e in the Kaiserstuhl region during the 23rd calendar week 1997, are sh own in photographic tables. Speed, deceleration, acceleration, trunk p osition, wing beat frequency and wing position are analysed and discus sed, also flight behaviour during landing and take-off. The differing statical and kinematical parameters of landing and take-off flights ar e estimated. The prey carrying during landing flight of the wasps is o ptimal. The lumps of clay are flown out in a strange backward flight - coordination with following turning to normal flight position. The tw o forms of flight behaviour are biomechanically interpreted. A soft la nding on the medium part of the tube is not neccessarily a prerequiste to prevent this delicate clay construction from breaking off.