About Abispa ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)
Abispa ephippium (Fabricius, 1775) measures 30 mm (1.2 in) in length. This insect is mostly orange, with a large central black patch on the top of the thorax, and a wide black band marking the abdomen. Its wings are largely translucent, tinted orange, with black areas at the wing tip. This species is a member of the potter wasp subfamily Eumeninae. Females build large mud nests in sheltered positions. Females search for prey including spiders and caterpillars around trees and shrubs, then seal the captured insects inside nest cells. Larvae feed on these stored insects before emerging as adults. Its life cycle begins when a single queen wasp emerges in spring to build a nest and lay eggs. When eggs hatch, the queen, and later worker wasps, feed the larvae. Larvae then pupate, and finally emerge as adult wasps. The nest grows throughout the summer, and new queens and males are produced towards the end of the season.
