Bug FAQMischocyttarus drewseni
Mischocyttarus drewseni · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Vespidae
Mischocyttarus drewseni is a mid-sized wasp about 1.5 to 1.8 cm long and dark brown to black in color. It builds single-comb nests of woody plant fibers in low, swampy grass areas and sometimes under eaves of buildings. The species is native to neotropical South America, including Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Paraguay and Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults have slender bodies with the first abdominal segment elongated, and they possess asymmetrical tarsal lobes unique to the genus.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Workers measure about 1.5 to 1.8 cm and are dark brown to black.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Nests are sometimes found in semi-urban settings, under eaves, barns or other protected places.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are made from woody plant fibers, form a single comb with hexagonal cells, and are usually found in low-lying grass or swampy areas with tall grass.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on arthropods, nectar, plant pulp and honeydew.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The life cycle includes egg, larval, pupal and adult stages. A queen initiates a colony by building the nest cell by cell.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs throughout neotropical South America, such as Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Paraguay, Guyana, Suriname, Argentina and others.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Mischocyttarus larvae have one to three lobes on the first abdominal segment and large thoracic spiracles.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I recognize Mischocyttarus drewseni?
They are mid-sized (1.5 to 1.8 cm), dark brown to black, with a slender body, an elongated first abdominal segment, and asymmetrical tarsal lobes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where do these wasps build their nests?
They construct single-comb nests of woody fibers in low, swampy grass areas and can also nest under eaves or in barns in semi-urban environments.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Vespidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mischocyttarus_drewseni
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.