Four-toothed Mason Wasp

Open fields, gardens, and woodlands; they often nest in hollow stems or abandoned tunnels in wood.

Adults feed on plant nectar; larvae are predatory and eat caterpillars provided by the mother in the nest.

Solitary nesters that create mud partitions between cells in a tunnel. They use a mild paralyzing sting to preserve caterpillars for their young. They are active during the summer months.

Benefits the ecosystem by controlling caterpillar populations and pollinating flowers. While they can sting if handled roughly, they are generally non-aggressive and lack the defensive 'nesting instinct' of social wasps like hornets.