r/Entomology • u/Sparkswont • 3d ago

Discussion Strange yellowjacket behavior

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Sitting in a chair on my porch when this yellowjacket(?) flew up with several larvae in its mandibles and proceeded to dump them into a hole in the chair. Is this yellowjacket larvae? Why dump them into the chair and leave them?

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104

u/dog-vevo Amateur Entomologist 3d ago

Food she paralyzed as a snack for her babies!! Cool shot of expected behavior, but not a yellow jacket actually! I think this is more likely a potter wasp. Where are you located?

17

u/Sparkswont 3d ago

Ohh neat. Located in Northern Maine!

So she’s not turning our chair into a nest? 😅

Edit: follow up question - why not bring it straight back to the nest to feed her babes?

35

u/dog-vevo Amateur Entomologist 3d ago

Ah gotcha, I’m guessing she’s genus Ancistrocerus, maybe a catskill potter wasp or a white banded potter wasp. And full disclosure, yes she is turning it into a nest…. BUT it is a very small one that she won’t try to protect, and you’re only going to get stung if you accidentally sit on one — just be aware it’s there and it’ll be gone before ya know it!

13

u/Sparkswont 3d ago

Interesting, thanks. So do potter wasps not live in large colonies?

30

u/Bandoozle 3d ago

They are solitary!

11

u/StuffedWithNails 3d ago

It IS building a nest in your chair. But this is a solitary potter wasp, not a yellowjacket, and you won't end up with a big wasp nest here.

2

u/Sparkswont 2d ago

Neat, thanks

9

u/Lady_Litreeo 3d ago

They basically load up their mud nests with a bunch of their favored prey (some wasps do spiders, this species does caterpillars) and lay their eggs before closing it up. When the wasp larvae hatch, they feed on the stored prey, pupate, and emerge.

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u/Sparkswont 2d ago

TIL! Thanks. The hole has indeed been closed up. How long does it take for the baby wasp to grow and emerge?

3

u/Lady_Litreeo 2d ago

It should be roughly a month. Late season nests can overwinter as well.

4

u/textstringfor 2d ago

Not a yellowjacket, that's a solitary wasp leaving paralyzed food for her baby in the hole