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Species Monobia quadridens - Four-toothed Mason Wasp
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and Stinging Wasps)
Superfamily Vespoidea (Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets)
Family Vespidae (Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and Hornets; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps)
Subfamily Eumeninae (Potter and Mason Wasps)
Genus Monobia
Species quadridens (Four-toothed Mason Wasp)
Other Common Names common name as originally entered, "Mason Wasp," is insufficiently precise Identification Large black wasp with bold yellowish-white markings. Range Eastern and southern United States, west to New Mexico, Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin. (1)Habitat Usually seen in open habitats with flowers. Season May-October (North Carolina) Food Adult takes nectar at flowers. Life Cycle Usually nests in wood borings, but sometimes burrows in dirt banks. Sometimes takes over abandoned nests of carpenter bees or ground bees, also Sceliphron (mud dauber) cells. Nest is provisioned with caterpillars, and cells of nest are separated by mud partitions. See Also Euodynerus bidens, apparently a mimic Print References Swan and Papp, p. 546, fig. 1189 (1)
Lutz, Field Book of Insects, 1st edition, has a color illustration of this species on plate XC (90), plate 98 in 3rd edition. (2)
Brimley, p. 440, lists just this member of the genus for North Carolina, gives season as May-October. (3)
Salsbury, p. 276, photo (4)Internet References The Oklahoma Biological Survey website - has an image of an adult as well, (though it is mis-labelled).
Works Cited | 1. | The Common Insects of North America
By Lester A. Swan, Charles S. Papp | |
| 4. | Insects in Kansas
By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White | |
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