Potter wasp
The potter wasp, part of the subfamily Eumeninae within the Vespidae family, is renowned for its unique pot-shaped mud nests, which bear a resemblance to clay pots crafted on a potter's wheel. Measuring about one inch (2.5 centimeters) in length, these solitary wasps feature a black body adorned with yellow-striped markings. Unlike social wasps that live in colonies, potter wasps tend to operate alone, coming together primarily for mating during the summer months.
The female potter wasp constructs her nests using mud mixed with her saliva, attaching them to various surfaces like plant stalks or human structures. After laying between 12 and 20 white, banana-shaped eggs in each nest, she hunts for caterpillars, which she stores inside the nest to feed her larvae once they hatch. The developmental cycle of the larvae includes a pupation phase, and they typically emerge as adults in the summer following a period of growth and, in some cases, hibernation. However, potter wasps face threats from parasitic insects that may target their larvae. With thousands of species across over 200 genera, potter wasps contribute to the biodiversity of their environments, playing a role in controlling insect populations.
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Potter wasp
The potter wasp gets its name from the pot-shaped mud nests it builds for its young. The nests closely resemble a small clay pot created on a potter's wheel.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Genus: Various (see below)
Potter wasps, also called mason wasps, are members of the subfamily Eumeninae. Thousands of species are organized in more than 200 genera. They typically measure around one inch (2 1/2 centimeters) long. Its black body has yellow striped markings on its abdomen, or lower-body section. Like other insects, the potter wasp is divided into three main parts—head, thorax, or mid-body section, and abdomen. The potter wasp's head holds this insect's segmented antennae and compound eyes. Compound eyes are eyes with multiple lenses. The potter wasp uses its compound eyes to search for insect prey for its young. Adult potter wasps feed on the sweet nectar of flowers.
Behind the head of the potter wasp is the thorax. The six yellow legs and four thin, membranous wings extend from this part. The abdomen contains all of the potter wasp's internal organs.
Unlike social wasps that live in highly organized colonies, the potter wasp is solitary. This means it spends most of its time alone except when mating. Mature potter wasps emerge from their nests in the summer to find mates. When a potter wasp finds another potter wasp of the opposite sex, the two mate. The female then goes on to build a nest for her eggs.
The potter wasp is a mud wasp, or a wasp that uses mud to form its home. The female potter wasp builds her nest from mud and her saliva. This nest may be attached to plant stalks, tree branches, or man-made objects including houses, garages, and barns. The potter wasp may attach her nest to any object that sits still long enough for her to build the nest. This may include a variety of human belongings.
Once the nest is made the potter wasp deposits one white, banana-shaped egg inside the pot-shaped mud nest. A female potter wasp may lay between 12 and 20 eggs in her lifetime. Potter wasp eggs typically hatch within two days during the summer. While the eggs develop, the mother hunts for insects to feed her young. The female potter wasp pushes caterpillars into the hole on the top of the pot to feed her young. When the larval potter wasp hatches from its egg, it feeds on the caterpillars until it is ready to pupate, or develop into its adult body. This process may include hibernation, or a rest period over the winter. In the summer, the new potter wasp emerges from its tiny pot as an adult.
This insect is threatened mostly by parasitic insects that lay their eggs in the larval bodies of potter wasps. Some parasitic insects include tachnia flies, cuckoo wasps, and ichneumon wasps.
Species include:
Australian hornet Abispa ephippium
Fraternal potter wasp Eumenes fraternus
White-striped black mason wasp Pseudodynerus quadrisectus
Wall mason wasp Ancistrocerus parietum
Four-toothed mason wasp Monobia quadridens
Bibliography
Short, Sarah. "Eumenes Fraternus." Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Eumenes‗fraternus. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.
"Potter Wasps." Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, texasinsects.tamu.edu/potter-wasps. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.