Cricket-hunter, closed wings
A pair of Steel-blue Cricket Hunter Wasps circled my yard for several days. The only place they would stop was on the orange flowers of the Butterfly Weed.
They strongly resemble Blue Mud Dauber Wasps, which have a longer pedicel (the "stalk" that connects their thorax to their abdomen).
Butterfly Weed is a native plant species, and my favorite Michigan wildflower. Ironically, I have never seen a butterfly land on the flowers, although it does attract a variety of wasps and hornets.
A side view, with wings lifted is included in the first comment below.
Cricket-hunter, closed wings
A pair of Steel-blue Cricket Hunter Wasps circled my yard for several days. The only place they would stop was on the orange flowers of the Butterfly Weed.
They strongly resemble Blue Mud Dauber Wasps, which have a longer pedicel (the "stalk" that connects their thorax to their abdomen).
Butterfly Weed is a native plant species, and my favorite Michigan wildflower. Ironically, I have never seen a butterfly land on the flowers, although it does attract a variety of wasps and hornets.
A side view, with wings lifted is included in the first comment below.