Four-toothed Mason Wasp

Natural Habitat

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

Diet & Feeding

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

Behavior Patterns

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.

Risks & Benefits

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.

Identified on: 3/8/2026