09/15/2026
Was working on getting cabinets unpacked for the kitchen when my neighbor and I spotted this hard workin' momma outside the backdoor. She's a katydid wasp. She hunts katydids to, uh, do things with them. But first, she was trying to climb the side of the house so she could get the height fly home with her catch.
Her first attempt failed and she flew into the yard. Her second attempt, she found an unlikely ally in climbing the smooth aluminum siding of the down-spout, of all things. Once she got to the top, she took off! A flew! Like, legitimately flew over the powerlines and over my neighbor's roof across the street, 'til she finally dropped out of sight. I didn't follow her, but somewhere she landed and dragged her catch into a hole she had previously dug. Her babies will hatch out it in the spring, after the eat the katydid alive from the inside. So glad I am human-sized today!
Photographers note: More shutter speed. Should be a priority in these situations.
