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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies (Crabronidae) » Square-headed Wasps (Crabroninae) » Crabronini » Crabronina
Photo#1513461
Possibly a young four-toothed mason wasp?
Copyright © 2018 abonnieweelass

Possibly a young four-toothed mason wasp?
Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA
April 27, 2018
Size: .5cm to 1 cm (?) varies
**I am not a bug person AT ALL and suffer from crippling (not kidding) arachnophobia**
I am seeing only one of these almost every day indoors, on one window of my living room. I thought it was a flying ant at first and just squashed it and tossed it, but today I got a picture of it and zoomed in. I freaked out when I saw the yellow bands, so I looked it up. The only thing I could find with black wings was a four toothed mason wasp.
The window they show up in is near our wood that we keep by the fireplace, that is brought in from outdoors (obviously), but we do have mud dauber wasps, so I could be right about this. Just want a second opinion from folks who know a lot more about them than I do. Also, what the heck to do, if they are wasps in my house! Thanks!
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Contributed by abonnieweelass on 27 April, 2018 - 4:50pm

Square-headed Wasp
This is something from the sub-tribe Crabronina. They might have built nests in the wood that was brought in. (females)
… Bob Biagi, 27 April, 2018 - 5:25pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 27 April, 2018 - 5:24pm login or register to post comments

A Square-headed Wasp...
Maybe something in/near the genus Ectemnius:



These are solitary wasps that prey upon flies. They nest in rotten wood, so they could indeed be emerging from your firewood. In any event, they are not territorial or aggressive. If you find one in the house, you can simply trap it in a cup and release it outdoors.

Welcome to BugGuide!
… Ken Wolgemuth, 27 April, 2018 - 5:23pm login or register to post comments

crabronidae
Wasps undergo complete metamorphosis, so a young wasp would look like a little grub (like a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly).

Anyway, this is some sort of crabronid wasp that must have nested in the wood last summer. They won't be a problem, they are totally nonaggressive and cannot reproduce indoors
… metrioptera, 27 April, 2018 - 5:22pm login or register to post comments

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