Philippine Black Potter Wasp

Description:

Abdomen is black in coloration together with the thorax and the head; but the thorax and the head has a little bit of orange coloration; Two antennas projecting from the head, that are also orange in coloration; and a pair of angled wings that transition from black to orange in coloration.

Habitat:

Compartment Cells maybe built in hidden locations; Found this particular wasp preying on a caterpillar in a grassy patch.

Notes:

Story Time: My cousin and I were about to head out to buy "panakot" when he decided to go back inside the house to get few things. I was left all alone outside, just wondering about the cars on the street and the grassy patches in between the houses, when one patch of grass caught my attention. The plants were full of holes, assuming that caterpillars were the suspects and yes indeed they were, because after few seconds of skimming the plants out comes into my vision a green caterpillar; notably large. But this caterpillar wasn't alone. It was being strangled by this black wasp (second and third pictures attached at the bottom). I wanted to help the caterpillar but decided no to, so that I could see what happens next (Hehehehehe). Although, I feel bad for the caterpillar; it was just minding its own business, working hard to turn into a butterfly and this freakin wasp just appeared out of nowhere. Then, after few seconds of restless twitching just to get free from the wasp's grasp, the wasp just LITERALLY FLEW, like legit FLEW with the FREAKIN CATERPILLAR. It was of great shock and great sorrow to see a wasp carrying an innocent caterpillar mid air to a place where nobody knows where. The Caterpilar was like, "Nooooooooooo!" and the wasp was like, "Byeeeeeee gurl." It was indeed dramatic. After that, my cousin returned and we continued to trek to the panakot; leaving me puzzled to what just actually happened. The Philippine Black Potter Wasp, 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘢 𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦 subsp. 𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 Bequaert 1928 are solitary wasps that hunt for caterpillars as food for their larvae. The wasp uses its mandibles to grasp onto the caterpillar, accompanying it with paralyzing stings. The wasp then brings the paralyzed caterpillar to its brood cell, a compartment constructed from mud by the wasp, in which the wasp will put the caterpillar and oviposit its larvae; and the larvae would feed on the caterpillar until full maturity. Their brood cell resembles of a pot structure, hence their name Black Potter Wasps. This wasp only oviposits one larvae on a single caterpillar, but surprisingly does a good job in keeping the next generation ready to go with sufficient new born "waspies" (term I refer to wasps). The Philippine Black Potter Wasps are a great example of nature's Natural Biocontrol for pest, such as these caterpillars that are feeding nonstop on farms and gardens; which leads to significant damage on crops and vegetation. These wasps are the natural enemies of these caterpillars! Although these wasps do not really attack humans in the first place unless provoked, they really do a great job in attacking caterpillars and controlling their population. So when you see one of these, just let them fly and let them find some caterpillars on which they can put their larvae into. (not great when you think of it in a caterpillar's point of view) Don't disturb them, for they might abandon their place and transfer into another. They can help in nearby farms and gardens from the nonstop feeding of caterpillars as natural biocontrol for pest; and of course has a significant role in the ecosystem. SOURCES: https://www.gbif.org/species/5036746 https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/87... https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/Rhy... https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/…/be... http://www.vespa-bicolor.net/main/solita...