Ancistrocerus gazella

European potter wasp
Cumnor Hill, Oxford
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Eumeninae
Genus: Ancistrocerus
Species: A. gazella
Binomial name
Ancistrocerus gazella
(Panzer 1798)

The European potter wasp or European tube wasp (Ancistrocerus gazella) is a species of potter wasp. As an imago (adult), the female collects as many as 20 caterpillars for each nest, which consists of a single cell.[1] Her larval offspring then feed on these inside the nest, which is sealed with mud arranged by her.[1] As adults, they eat nectar and aphid honeydew.[1] Males cannot sting, and the sting of a female is not painful.[1] They can be found on windows, foraging for nectar on flowers, or searching out small cracks or holes in which to nest.[1]

The species became established in Auckland, New Zealand in 1987, and is now found even in Otago (near the country's southern extremity).[1]

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Crowe, A. (2002). Which New Zealand Insect?. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin. p. 71. ISBN 0-14-100636-6.

Further reading