Ensign Wasp
Evania appendigaster
- Order & Family
- Hymenoptera, Evaniidae
- Size
- Typically 5-8 mm (0.2-0.3 inches)
Natural Habitat
Commonly found indoors and outdoors, especially in areas with cockroaches, as they are parasitic. They are attracted to lights.
Diet & Feeding
Adults may feed on nectar or honeydew, but their primary purpose is reproduction. The larvae are parasitoids of cockroach oothecae (egg cases).
Behavior Patterns
Ensign wasps are solitary. The female wasp searches for cockroach egg cases (oothecae) to lay a single egg inside. The wasp larva then develops inside the ootheca, consuming the cockroach eggs. Once mature, the adult wasp chews its way out.
Risks & Benefits
Ensign wasps are completely harmless to humans and pets. They are beneficial insects because they are natural biological control agents for cockroaches, helping to reduce cockroach populations. They do not sting or bite.