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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Hornets, Yellowjackets; Paper, Potter, Mason, and Pollen Wasps; and Allies (Vespidae) » Potter and Mason Wasps (Eumeninae) » Eumenes » Fraternal Potter Wasp (Eumenes fraternus)

Species Eumenes fraternus - Fraternal Potter Wasp

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Life Cycle · Internet References · Works Cited

Potter wasp, abdomen - Eumenes fraternus

Fraternal Potter Wasp - Lateral Dorsal - Eumenes fraternus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)

Superfamily Vespoidea

Family Vespidae (Hornets, Yellowjackets; Paper, Potter, Mason, and Pollen Wasps; and Allies)

Subfamily Eumeninae (Potter and Mason Wasps)

Genus Eumenes

Species fraternus (Fraternal Potter Wasp)

Explanation of Names

Eumenes fraternus Say 1824

Size

15-20 mm

Identification

Out of the black-and-pale species of Eumenes, E. fraternus is distinguishable by its dark, evenly-pigmented wings.

Range

e NA (ON-NH-FL to MN-TX)(1)(2)

Habitat

Woodland edges and shrubby fields

Season

Apr-Nov in NC(3), Jul-Sep in MN

Life Cycle

Females lay egg in mud nest (built on twig, etc.), then provision with small caterpillars esp. cankerworms. Also reported to provision with sawflies.

Larva (with caterpillars) -- pupa -- adult

At least two generations a year, from late spring to early fall. Overwinters as prepupa in cells. --based on Richard Vernier's comments

Internet References

Species page(1)

Video of wasp building a nest

Works Cited

1.	Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the Northeastern Nearctic Region Matthias Buck, Stephen A. Marshall, and David K. B. Cheung. 2008. Biological Survey of Canada [Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification].

2.	Taxonomic review of Eumenes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from the New World Grandinete Y.C., Noll F.B., Carpenter J. 2018. Zootaxa 4459: 1-52.

3.	Insects of North Carolina C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

Contributed by john and jane balaban on 19 September, 2005 - 10:05pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Matthias Buck, Mike Quinn, Ted Kropiewnicki, v belov, PaleoJon
Last updated 5 February, 2021 - 6:40am

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