The Potter Wasp gets it's name from the construction of their nests. The female uses mud to make the nest into a pitcher or pot shaped structure. She collects a drop of water and a dry particle of soil, dampening the soil and putting it into place. Several hundred such fragments are needed to create the nest and can take one to two hours to build.


This species of Potter Wasp has a black body with ivory markings. Other Potters wasps have yellow markings and often confused with yellow jacket wasps and mason wasps. I think the super think thorax of the Potter wasp is interesting.