Potter Wasp

A few summers ago, we discovered a lovely black and white wasp going back and forth from a hole in our deck railing. Once we observed her bringing a green caterpillar into the hole, and we realised she was leaving food for her young for when they hatched. The wasp had blackish blue wings and was black except for some white stripes and spots on her body.  

A look in our copy of Insects, by Donald H. Borror and Richard E. White told us the wasp we'd seen was a potter wasp. Most wasps in this subfamily are black with yellow or white markings, and many species are quite common. Some species nest in burrows or natural cavities, whereas others build nests out of mud. As we discovered, the nests are usually provisioned with caterpillars.  

Potter wasps, also known as mason wasps, may have white, yellow, orange, or red markings, according to EverythingAbout.net (http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/wasps/potter_wasp/). They are called potter wasps because of the shape of nest some of them build. They mainly like temperate regions, and may be found throughout the northern hemisphere. Some will choose abandoned bee or wasp nests for their young, whilst others will nest in the ground or in hollow plant stalks. They are related to hornets, yellow jackets, and paper wasps.