Mason
Wasp
Euodynerus hidalgo viereckii
When I saw the abdomen on this wasp on Antelope Island,
I knew instantly that it was a new species
of Potter or Mason Wasp for me. My blood races when I'm
trying to get a photo of a new species before it
flies off to parts unknown, never to be seen again.
I did finally get a couple of shots. I'm sure the wasp was
thinking, "Is this a crazy woman circling around me, and is
she dangerous?" Carol Davis 6-23-2013

Potter and Mason Wasps, to me, are some of the most
fascinating of all the wasps. They are gorgeous and each
one has its own little story of breeding and nesting (with
clay). They are also very gentle and I have never
even been charged by one while I'm following them
around. Here's
a link from The Canadian Journal
of Arthropod Identification describing Euodynerus hidalgo
(viereckii is the subspecies in the
Western US). Bug Eric also has a nice
article on them.. © Carol
Davis 6-23-2013
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