Description
Antennae are yellow, rather long. Large compound darker yellow eyes. Characteristic three black spots on the head, wings are clear with a yellow color. Reaches up to 25mm in size.
Range and Habitats
Noisy flying wasp. On warm days will congregate around water, both to quench their thirst and carry water supplies back to the larvae at the nest. Nest contains no fewer than two dozen cells. Mostly constructed between rocks or in cracks and under bark of trees or on walls around urban areas. Commonly found around the UAE, coastal areas and in well vegetated areas. Active from March to November.
Breeding
Semi-social insects. Colony contains three castes: workers, queens and males. Queen similar to workers. Eggs are laid in single cells, eggs hatch into legless larvae. A few instars later, the larvae pupate. A nest has 20 to 30 adults. If the queen stops laying eggs then the colony will soon decline in numbers. Females will break away from the old colony looking for a new male and start a new colony.