Their nests are also quite small, usually smaller than a lemon, and they often have yellow and black stripes on their bodies. They are sometimes called mason wasps and they are generally very solitary. Potter Wasp Potter waspįound mostly in the western and southeastern regions of the United States, potter wasps are very small at only half an inch in length. They get their name because of the paper they usually use to build their nests. These types of wasps are found mostly in the western and southeastern regions of the United States and into Mexico. Paper wasps only attack when they feel threatened, especially if they feel as if their nests are being attacked. Their sting is very painful but they can sting without losing their stingers. They like to be out in the open and can even be found under eaves, although they also congregate in trees and attics. They are yellow and have stripes of either black or a rusty brown color. Paper wasps get up to one and a half inches long and are very social with nests of up to 30 wasps each. Their nests hold up to 20 wasps and have cells in the shape of tubes. Mud dauber wasps prey on all types of spiders, including the black widow spider, and they often attach themselves under porches or eaves as well as in attics and walls. Oddly, these creatures are not protective of their nests and therefore seldom sting. They are long and thin and they are often called dirt daubers or thread wasps. They get up to one inch long and are solitary insects. The mud dauber wasp uses mud and clay to build a nest, hence its name. There are three different wasps in this category: mud daubers, pollen wasps, and potter wasps. Mud Dauber Wasp Mud Dauber (sceliphron caementarium) Once their young hatch, the female wasp eats its host. The adult wasps feed on nectar, shrubs, and trees and their hosts usually include grubs or caterpillars. One of the assets of these types of wasps is the fact that they feed on boll weevils, wood-boring insects, and tomato hornworms therefore, they do a great job of controlling the pest population. However, most Ichneumon wasps never sting humans, although technically they are able to do so. Some even have black and yellow stripes, which make them look similar to stinging wasps. Their colors vary with some wasps being dark in color and others being brightly colored with patterned bodies. Ichneumon wasps are roughly one and a half inches long and have very long antennas. Although the latter are great at killing cicadas, their nests can cause damage to the lawn, especially since they can be as deep as 10 inches. The cicada killers get up to one and a half inches long and are found east of the Rocky Mountains. Their preferred hosts include the long-horned grasshoppers. The ground diggers prefer sandy soil for their nests and they are commonly found near flagstones or patio homes. The cicada killers are black in the abdomen and have yellow markings as well as wings that are orange-tinted. The ground digger wasp is one inch long with a body that is black and orange-red in color. Cicada Killers / Ground Digger Wasp (Sphecius speciosus) Cicada Killers / Ground Digger Wasp (Sphecius Speciosus)Īs opposed to nests which hang from eaves or porches, this type of wasp actually digs its nest under the ground. Their bodies are usually a combination of dark-brown and a Sulphur-yellow color. This type of wasp is docile and usually won’t sting unless provoked however, its sting is very painful. The black shield wasp has a lot of different prey, including small flying insects, but they also love food, which is why they are often found around outdoor barbecue sites. It is a very common social wasp and can often be seen around human dwellings. It gets up to roughly 3/4” and is considered one of the smallest of the species. It also preys on honeybees and feeds those bees to its larvae. Black Shield Wasp (Vespa bicolor)īlack shield wasps pollinate orchids and are only found in Hainan, an island in China. After they are stung, the female black wasp usually brings them to the nest for a bit. When the black wasps sting their prey, they always sting a total of three times - once in the neck and twice in the thorax, which paralyzes the prey, although they can survive for weeks this way. The stings, however, do not make the skin swell as many other stings do. It has smoky wings and its sting is very painful. It is very large and black in color and the females are larger than the males. Also known as the great black wasp, this insect can be found in most of North America and northern Mexico and it can get up to one and a half inches in length.
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