''Monobia quadridens'', also known as the four-toothed mason wasp, is a
species of solitary
potter wasp found in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. It grows to a wingspan of , and feeds on small
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
s and pollen. There are two generations per year, with one generation overwintering as pupae.
Description
The abdomen of ''M. quadridens'' is entirely black, except for a broad ivory (color), ivory-coloured band on the first tergite.
The wingspan is typically for males, and for females.
It closely resembles ''Euodynerus bidens'' in size and colouration.
Distribution
''Monobia quadridens'' has a wide distribution in eastern
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. In Mexico, it is found in the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, while in the United States, it is found from New Mexico, Kansas and Wisconsin east to the East Coast of the United States, Eastern Seaboard.
The occurrence of the species in Canada has not been explicitly recorded in print, but specimens identified as ''M. quadridens'' have been present in Canadian entomological collections for a long time.
Taxonomy
''Monobia quadridens'' was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1763 work ''Centuria Insectorum'', under the name ''Vespa quadridens''.
Life cycle and ecology
''Monobia quadridens'' is Voltinism, bivoltine, having two generations in a year. One emerges in summer, while the other Overwintering, overwinters as a pupa before emerging the following spring. Copulation lasts for 30 minutes in ''M. quadridens'', while in most wasp species, it only lasts a minute or two. It nests in a variety of cavities including tunnels abandoned by carpenter bees, old nests built by mud daubers, and hollow plant stems.
The diet of ''M. quadridens'' is primarily composed of
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
s of microlepidoptera, including species from the families Pyralidae, Crambidae, Elachistidae, Amphisbatidae, Gelechiidae and Tortricidae.
The diet also includes a large proportion of pollen.
Sting
Like many wasps, ''Monobia quadridens'' is capable of delivering a wasp sting, sting. The pain caused by the sting of a female is similar to that caused by the bald-faced hornet or the ant ''Myrmecia nigriceps''. Unlike most other wasps, however, the male is also capable of delivering a painful jab like a needle prick, although no venom is injected, so the pain is transient. The male has no stinger and uses the tip of its abdomen.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4044469
Potter wasps
Hymenoptera of North America
Insects described in 1763
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus