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Photo#1637726
Scoliosis wasp - Pygodasis quadrimaculata - female

Scoliosis wasp - Pygodasis quadrimaculata - Female
Grovetown, Columbia County, Georgia, USA
February 22, 2019
Size: 1 1/2 inches
Hugh! I have 3 acres of gardens & on a lake. First time seeing this species (4 yellow dots on abdomen). Aggressively attacked me & my dog in my driveway before I was able to knock it to the ground. Is this aggression normal for this species?

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Scoliosis wasp - Pygodasis quadrimaculata - female Scoliosis wasp - Pygodasis quadrimaculata - female

It probably wasn't aggression.
Males looking for females will actively investigate any movement in their range of vision. Females constructing nests will circle the area to memorize landmarks (including people and dogs) to help them find their way back to the site. In either case, the wasps have no real interest in people or their pets. A one-inch wasp has nothing to gain (and everything to lose, as seen here) by "attacking" something the size of a human being.

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