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Thread-Waisted Wasp from India

On April 28, 2013 · Category: Thread Waisted Wasps · Add Comment

Subject: Hey there, Bugman!
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
April 28, 2013 1:49 am
I found this guy in a patch of wilderness in Bangalore, India. He was flying around, carrying little rocks to his little hole in the ground. I was wondering what bug this was? I was a little afraid to get too close, because I wasn’t sure if that was a stinger at the end of his body. I’m uploading two pictures, since only one of them properly shows his abdomen.
Signature: Meg

Thread-Waisted Wasp

Dear Meg,
We apologize for not having the time to hunt out the species for this wasp, but we are relatively certain it is a Thread-Waisted Wasp in the family Sphecidae. This series from BugGuide would support our speculation. Perhaps your female Sphecid Wasp is beginning to seal this nursery burrow.

Thread-Waisted Wasp

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Grass Carrying Wasp Nest

On September 22, 2012 · Category: Thread Waisted Wasps · Add Comment

Subject: Found these guys nesting in our window…
Location: Fort Mill, SC
September 22, 2012 12:05 pm
Hello! I am writing because I am really hoping you can help me figure out what on Earth these guys are. Last week I was measuring for a fire ladder and accidentally dropped the screen out of the window. I was showered with insect parts and nesting material. On top of the screen there was a straight line of these guys, and I am at a loss as to what they are. Each cocoon was about an inch long. Hoping you can shed some light on the situation!
Signature: Thank you so much, Ashli Welsh

Grass Carrying Wasp Nest

Hi Ashli,
You have discovered the nest of a Grass Carrying Wasp in the genus Isodontia. According to BugGuide: “Females make nests in a tree, hollow stem or other cavity, divide into sections and close with grass. They provision with Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae, Gryllidae)” and “These wasps commonly make their nest in the narrow track found above outer windows.” The wings in your photos appear to be those of Tree Crickets which have been eaten by the wasp larva.

Grass Carrying Wasp Nest

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Nest of a Grass Carrying Wasp

On August 8, 2012 · Category: Crickets, Camel Crickets and Mole Crickets, Nests, Thread Waisted Wasps Tagged With: food chain · Add Comment

Subject: bug and nest material
Location: Rochester, New York
August 7, 2012 1:50 pm
Hi. I keep getting bugs of some kind nesting between wood casement windows and the jambs…a teeny tight space. Sometimes I find clumps of dry grass, other times little dried mud tubes(maybe a different species). I’m amazed they can squeeze in there and can’t figure out what the attraction is. They aren’t damaging the wood, but messy when I open a window that’s been closed for months, and the stuff falls into the room. In today’s cleaning I found actual bugs (a brighter green than the photo shows). Thank you!
Signature: Hiawatha

Grass Carrying Wasp Nest provisioned with Tree Crickets

Dear Hiawatha,
The insects in your photo did not make this nest. They are what appear to be Tree Crickets and they are the prey of the nest maker, a Grass Carrying Wasp in the genus Isodontia. According to BugGuide: “Larvae are fed Grillidae (particularly tree crickets) or other Orthoptera” and “These wasps commonly make their nest in the narrow track found above outer windows.” See BugGuide for additional information on the Grass Carrying Wasp. The mud nests you found were most likely the nests of Mud Dauber Wasps and they are generally provisioned with spiders to feed the larvae.

Grass Carrying Wasp Nest

Wow…thanks, Daniel! That was a fast response and very comprehensive. I really appreciate your taking the time to answer. There’s probably nothing I can do to keep the grass carrying wasps out of the narrow track above the windows, but at least I know what I’m up against.
Again, thanks very much,
Jim Dierks
Rochester, NY

Hi again Jim,
Neither Grass Carrying Wasps nor Mud Daubers are aggressive species and you should not fear getting stung.

Good to know, Daniel. Thanks. I’ll just let the little guys do their thing, and with all the other troubles I’ve had with these windows, at least the wasps are just using some convenient space and not harming the windows at all.
Regards,
Jim Dierks

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Great Black Wasp

On August 5, 2012 · Category: Thread Waisted Wasps Tagged With: unnecessary carnage · Add Comment

Subject: wasp which brings confusion
Location: indianapolis indiana
August 5, 2012 9:48 am
this is the first summer I have seen these. started noticing them pollinating my mint. have done internet research but cannot decide what they are. have asked around 2 friends for their opinion and no 1 can decide either.
Signature: harley page

Great Black Wasp

Hi Harley,
We believe this is a Grass Carrying Wasp, Isodontia apicalis, and it is not considered an aggressive species. The individual in your photograph appears to be dead, perhaps the result of Unnecessary Carnage. We based our identification on this BugGuide image which has a comment from Eric Eaton with this description: “The silver face and pale pubescence on the thorax is pretty distinctive. … Differences are so subtle among the sphecids in general that it just takes years of practice to differentiate.” Sadly, your photo does not show the face. We will try to contact Eric Eaton to see if we can get a confirmation or a correction to that identification. BugGuide contains some fascinating information on the genus, including: “Females make nests in a tree, hollow stem or other cavity, divide into sections and close with grass. They provision with Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae, Gryllidae)” and “These wasps commonly make their nest in the narrow track found above outer windows.”

Correction Courtesy of Eric Eaton
Daniel:
Pretty certain that is actually a Great Black Wasp, Sphex pensylvanicus, one that hunts katydids and digs an underground burrow. It does look like a female, so it should have been very large (inch-and-a-half or so).
Eric

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Great Black Wasp: Unnecessary Carnage

On August 2, 2012 · Category: Thread Waisted Wasps Tagged With: unnecessary carnage · Add Comment

Subject: Large Black Mud Dauber???
Location: Athens, Ontario, Canada
August 2, 2012 7:07 am
My family and myself noticed these insects this summer flying around and crawling between the interlocking stone and the pool this summer. They keep flying around us whenever we swim and I’m worried somebody is going to get stung. I’ve also noticed them carrying locust into their nest which I figure is in our pool area. Is there any way I can remove these from this area?
Signature: Marla

Great Black Wasp Carnage

Hi Marla,
This is a Great Black Wasp, Sphex pensylvanicus, and it is not an aggressive species. You mentioned seeing the female with a locust. BugGuide notes that they prey upon Katydids which earns the species an additional common name Katydid Hunter. Since they are not aggressive, we would urge you to just let them cohabitate with you in your yard and to refrain from killing any more individuals of this magnificent wasp.

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Velvet Ant and (almost) Mating Mud Daubers

On August 1, 2012 · Category: Thread Waisted Wasps, Velvet Ants Tagged With: bug love · Add Comment

Subject: A velvet ant & unrequited wasp love. Attempt number two.
Location: Palmyra, NJ & Philadelphia, PA
July 31, 2012 11:58 am
Please forgive me if these two photos have been previously received. I attempted to submit these late last week, however I didn’t get a confirmation E-mail so I’m not sure if my submission was successful.
The photos were taken on Sunday July 22, 2012. The first one was taken at Palmyra Cove Nature Park in Palmyra, NJ. (Had I realized that August’s bug of the month was the cow killer I would have taken a few photos of that species when I was there yesterday.) It took two trips to the park and three encounters with this particular species of velvet ant before I was able to get a photo of it.
The 1st time we came across one, she ran and hid in her burrow before I was able to get my phone out and snap a photo.
The 2nd encounter was in a grassy area & due to the grass obstructing the wasp I wasn’t able to capture a photo. I tried to coax her out into the open using a small twig, but she started to make an audible squeaking sound that told me that it was time to back off.
Finally on the third encounter, we found one in an open sandy area. Though she tried to run, she had more than enough space to run for me to have the time to get out my phone and take a picture.
After doing some research, with the aid of your site, I believe that I’ve identified her as Dasymutilla Vesta. Though, I could easily be wrong as I am no expert on insects.
After returning home from the park I noticed this pair of what I believe are black and yellow mud daubers trying to get busy on the Helenium that I planted a few years ago. Though, I’m not sure if the female was interested. The male was jabbing away furiously at the female’s abdomen but he never seemed to find his mark. Perhaps we killed the mood by barging in on them, or perhaps she had a headache.
I’ve taken a few other photos of some other insects at Palmyra Cove that I wouldn’t mind sharing with you, provided that multiple submissions from one individual wouldn’t be a nuisance. I honestly think that I’m one of the few people who go to that park mainly to see the insect life over any of the other wildlife that lives there.
Thank you for your time.
Signature: Dave

Velvet Ant

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your persistence. We did receive your original submission, and we intended to post it, but alas, we didn’t get to it and suddenly your email got buried under the deluge of summer identification requests we receive. Thank you again for resending. We cannot for certain identify the Velvet Ant to the species level, but another possibility based on BugGuide images and range information might be the genus Ephuta. We have heard the squeaking noise you describe and for such tiny creatures, Velvet Ants are able to make a disproportionate amount of noise. We will nonetheless tag this as a Bug Love entry even though you didn’t actually capture the mating act with your camera. We would love to receive other submissions from you, especially of species that are not well represented on our site or images that are exceptional for other reasons.
Please in the future, only submit one specimen at a time. We like to have each posting be a distinct species unless there is some relationship between two species that is significant.

Black and Yellow Mud Daubers

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Great Golden Digger Wasp

On July 27, 2012 · Category: Nests, Thread Waisted Wasps · Add Comment

Subject: wasp?
Location: Hingham, Massachusetts
July 27, 2012 4:06 pm
Hi-
This bug has made a home in my walkway to my back door. I am concerned it will sting my curious toddlers. What is it and how do I relocate it?
Signature: Liz

Great Golden Digger Wasp

Hi Liz,
The Great Golden Digger Wasp in your photo is a solitary species that is not aggressive. This female has dug a nest that she provisions with Katydids to feed her brood. Solitary Wasps do not produce many offspring. Those that survive will not emerge from the nest until next spring. We do not believe this Great Golden Digger Wasp poses any threat to your toddlers and we do not feel there is a need to attempt to relocate her, especially since relocation could probably not be achieved.

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Paralyzed Drumming Katydids found in Nest of a Grass Carrier Wasp

On July 3, 2012 · Category: Katydids, Nests, Thread Waisted Wasps Tagged With: food chain · 2 Comments

Subject: paralized grasshoppers in nest above my door?! Could they be victims or wasps?
Location: Andover, MA
July 2, 2012 7:53 pm
I opened my screen door and out drops dozens of small green grasshoppers (not sure what kind) onto my head!…
They are alive but not able to move very much. My guess is they were parasitized by a wasp. If this it true, I’m assuming wasp eggs were laid in these pretty little things.
I would love to know for sure!
Thanks BugMan!
Roberta
Signature: covered in grasshoppers

Paralyzed Drumming Katydid Nymph

Hi Roberta,
We will be writing to both Piotr Naskrecki and Eric Eaton to try to get to the bottom of this food chain mystery. These are not Grasshoppers because their antennae are too long. They are some immature Longhorned Orthopteran in the suborder Ensifera. The specimen in hand appears to be a juvenile female because of the presence of an Ovipositor. Perhaps Piotr who specializes in Katydids can provide species or genus information. Thank you for including the nesting material. It is most unusual and we do not know of a Parasitic Wasp that uses straw to build a nest, but perhaps Piotr or Eric will know more on that subject.

Paralyzed Drumming Katydid Nymphs with nesting material

Piotr Naskrecki identifies Katydids
Hi Daniel,
Cannot tell you much about who paralyzed these katydids (my guess would be a sphecid wasp of some kind), but the insects themselves are nymphs of Meconema thalassinum, a European species, introduced and now common in the Eastern US.
Cheers,
Piotr

Ed. Note: BugGuide identifies Meconema thalassinumas the Drumming Katydid.

Cache of Katydids from Nest

Eric Eaton provides a likely Predator: Grass Carrier Wasp
Hi Daniel, Piotr:
Very interesting! The wasps building the straw nests would be “grass-carriers” in the genus Isodontia, family Sphecidae. I think the host here would be a new record since the wasps are native but the prey is not. There are at least three or four Isodontia spp. in Massachusetts, so without at least an image of the wasp we can’t make an association.
Eric

Update from Roberta: Larvae Emerge
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for the response. Larvae have started emerging from the katydids. I have attached a couple of photos. I did the best I could without a macro lens.
I have wasps buzzing around my house with little pieces of straw in-hand. So a wasp came to mind as the culprit when the katydids dropped on my head.
They are still on my deck; I would like to put them out of their misery if that’s okay?
Thanks again!
Roberta

Wasp Larvae emerge and feed on Katydids

Ed. Note: We missed Roberta’s first update and we added them to the original posting out of order.
Hi Roberta,
We somehow missed your first update. While we understand the sympathy you feel for the Katydids, we can’t help but to marvel at the cache of Drumming Katydids that the Grass Carrying Wasp assembled and we hate to see that effort go to waste. We wish you could provide a suitable substitute habitat and let nature take its course.

Update from Roberta: Photo of the predator
Hi Daniel,
I attached a photo of the wasp . I believe this is the species of wasp that is parasitizing the Drumming katydids. There were a number of these wasps flying around carrying pieces of grass. This one, however, isn’t.
I hope this helps.
Thanks!
Roberta

Grass Carrier Wasp

Hi Roberta,
We feel we are making a conviction based on circumstantial evidence, but we are nonetheless pleased to arrive at the same conclusion that you have: that this Grass Carrier Wasp or one of its relatives built the grass nest that was provisioned with immature Drumming Katydids. Thank you so much for the follow-up. This is exactly the type of interactive posting we love, complete with expert testimony. Additionally, through a continued effort on your part, you photographed the interconnectivity between these two species, the predator and the prey. It should be noted that like other wasps that prey upon insects, it is done for the purpose of feeding a brood. The adults feed on nectar, most likely because during the evolutionary process, parents that did not compete with their young for the same food supply produced more offspring since food did not have to be shared.

Hi Daniel,
The scientist in me decided to let nature take its course; I placed the katydids in a covered area of my yard.
I kept one of the katydids to follow the development of the Grass Carrying Wasp.
I will let you know if I am successful in raising the wasp to adulthood.
Thanks so much for your wonderful site.
Roberta

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Thread-Waisted Wasp from India

Grass Carrying Wasp Nest

Nest of a Grass Carrying Wasp

Great Black Wasp

Great Black Wasp: Unnecessary Carnage

Velvet Ant and (almost) Mating Mud Daubers

Great Golden Digger Wasp

Paralyzed Drumming Katydids found in Nest of a Grass Carrier Wasp

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