Ensign Wasp
Scientific Name: Evania appendigaster
Order & Family: Hymenoptera: Evaniidae
Size: 5 to 7 millimeters in length
Natural Habitat
Urban and suburban areas, specifically near buildings infested with cockroaches
Diet & Feeding
Adults feed on nectar and honeydew; larvae are predators and feed on cockroach eggs inside an ootheca
Behavior Patterns
Known for constantly pumping its small, flag-like abdomen up and down while walking; they are solitary parasitoids and cannot sting humans
Risks & Benefits
Beneficial to humans as they act as a natural biological control against cockroach populations
Identified on: 6/20/2026