Potter Wasp

Description:

Black and yellow thorax and abdomen, long slender black and yellow pedicel. Distinct markings on abdomen (looks like a set of eyes with eye brows above, a smiley face and a cross). Copper coloured wings. Approx. 30mm in length.

Habitat:

Current: My back deck, inner city suburbia in Brisbane. She's chosen a spot behind a lattice gate - safety for her, VIP viewing for me! Usual: Bush, trees, grass.

Notes:

Spotted on Yuggera/Turrbal Country (4171). About a week and a half ago, I ‘met’ a large, yellow and black female wasp (although I thought she was a hornet at first). I’ve been calling her Henrietta, a name chosen at random but which I have since discovered means ‘home’ or ‘estate ruler’. Given Henrietta’s epic independent home building skills, I think the name is rather apt. Living in Australia, I’m no stranger to nesting creepy crawlies and have seen many a mud nest in my travels. However, I had never seen a nest actively being built by its owner/occupier in real time! I took a close-up video on my iPhone and when Henrietta flew off, I watched the video back, marvelling at the astounding detail I was able to capture and how adept she was at pottery! At this stage, I still thought she was a hornet, so you can imagine my amusement when I found out she is actually known as a potter wasp! She might be a wasp, but has inspired me, unexpectedly, in a multitude of ways. I've spent a lot of time watching her, checking in on her, waiting for her to collect mud or caterpillars and return. I'm stunned at the inquisitive path that this solitary yellow potter wasp has lead me down and my willingness to accommodate my own curiosity. After some big life changes and rough patches, Henrietta has reminded me of a few things about myself and I'm grateful. To a wasp! She is a poster wasp for independence, patience, strength, efficiency and perseverance. Watching and waiting for the emergence of Henrietta's 4 offspring! (Apologies for the quality of some of the photos. I used my mobile phone to video her movements and therefore had to screen shot stills from the video to capture various angles and activity)