[buggirl]

“[southern Louisiana] So I found this on the toilet paper at work and have never seen a bug like this before ((all I have is my phone for pictures, sorry))”-toxipop

Oh I just love getting ID requests for this parasitoid wasp!   It’s one of my favorite little wasps.  You know I love beneficial insects/arachnids/etc- and sure, there are many of those that will help rid your home of cockroaches- but most also target other prey. But of all the beneficial insects this ensign wasp perhaps wins the prize for most beneficial!!   The reason is this:  They are very very picky about what they feed their young.  They exclusively target cockroach egg cases to parasitize!   That means just one little female cute black stubby wasp butt can wipe out THOUSANDS of cockroaches!  If you see one of these in your home- LEAVE IT ALONE.  Free-of-charge natural roach eliminator!   Maybe your work has some roaches she is planning on taking care of…  Adults, as in all wasps, eat nectar and are also important pollinators.  Here is one on bugguide.