
Community identification
Ensign Wasp
Evania appendigaster
- Order & Family
- Hymenoptera: Evaniidae
- Size
- 3 to 7 mm in body length
Natural Habitat
Found globally in urban and suburban areas, particularly near buildings or where cockroaches are present.
Diet & Feeding
Adults feed on nectar and honeydew; larvae are specialized predators that consume the eggs of cockroaches.
Behavior Patterns
Notable for their unique flag-like abdomen which they pump up and down while walking. They are solitary wasps and highly active during the day.
Risks & Benefits
Beneficial to humans as they act as a natural biological control for cockroach populations; they do not sting or bite humans.