Bug FAQPotter wasp
Zeta argillaceum · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Eumenidae
Zeta argillaceum builds round nests up to 18 mm wide with a tiny entrance hole. The wasp lives in cities, attaching its nests to building walls, and is common from South America up through Mexico and the southern United States. Each cell holds one egg and is stocked with paralyzed geometrid moth larvae for the larva to eat.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Nests are a common sight on building walls in urban areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The wasp adapts easily to habitat change and its nests are often seen in small groups on building walls in urban areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults place paralyzed living geometrid moth larvae in each cell as food for the developing larva.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
One egg is laid per cell; the nest is used only once by Z. argillaceum but may be reused by other potter wasps.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Other potter wasps such as Pachodynerus species often reuse the nests after Z. argillaceum abandons them.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the nests of Zeta argillaceum look like?
They are roughly spherical, up to 18 mm across, with a single small entrance hole.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are Zeta argillaceum wasps usually found?
They commonly attach their nests to the walls of buildings in cities across South America, Mexico, and the southern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the adult wasps provide for their larvae?
They stock each cell with paralyzed geometrid moth larvae for the emerging larva to eat.
Source: Wikipedia
Can other wasps use Zeta argillaceum nests?
Yes, other potter wasps like Pachodynerus species often reuse the abandoned nests.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Eumenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeta_argillaceum
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 2026-10-22.