My favorite insects are active and abundant in the summer heat. Like butterflies, they add a layer of color and movement to the flowers. They add drama, too, as they squabble over particular flowers or positions, pounce on caterpillars, or mate.

Great Golden Digger Wasp

This large wasp has golden fur and big black eyes. The hairstreak butterfly isn’t afraid of him and I hope you aren’t either.

Great Black Digger Wasp

This wasp is even larger and all black except for the blue glint of wings when the angle of the sun is right.

Entypus Spider Wasp

I’m waiting for verification from iNaturalist, but this is some sort of spider wasp and possibly an Elegant Tarantula-Hawk Wasp. Look at those amazing Cheeto-colored antennae!

Gold-Marked Thread-Waisted Wasp

In mid-July, I noticed what looked like an oddly shaped bee flying around the mint. Lo, it was a mating pair of Gold-Marked Thread-Waisted Wasps! Since then, most of the ones I see are paired up. The top row of photos were all taken on different days.

The male holds the female’s neck in his mouth, grips her narrow waist between his hind legs, and connects the tips of their abdomens. She stores his sperm in her spermatheca to use later when she chooses to fertilize some of her eggs to create more female wasps. The eggs for male wasps are not fertilized. The female continues to fly around from flower to flower, eating nectar as she goes. The male holds on so that other males can’t take his place.

Common Thread-Waisted Wasp

You can recognize this wasp by the narrow waist and red band.

Fraternal Potter Wasp

This medium-sized wasp has jaunty white shoulders and a splash of white on the abdomen.

Four-Toothed Mason Wasp

I was surprised to see this wasp nectaring the Chinese abelia. Wasps almost always prefer the flowers in Sun Curve, especially the Mountain Mint.