species

He is a rather curious looking wasp - I am used to wasps having wide strips of alternating black and yellow, but on him the yellow strips act more as accents. Just a fine edge on each of the sections of his abdomen, and a little bit of eyeliner, and some racing strips on the thorax. 

Most of my google search results for a while were for wasp exterminators, so it took me a while to figure out what he might be. It looks like a potter wasp is one possibility.

http://www.cirrusimage.com/bees_wasps_potter.htm

(I think he looks more like the title picture of the Eastern Yellowjacket (2nd picture), but not like the contents the link of the picture leads to http://www.cirrusimage.com/hymenoptera.htm )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancistrocerus

his beard

I have been watching him suck that apple dry, and I can't help but notice it looks like he has a little beard! Really, I know it's probably part of his complex mandible structure, but it's so cute to think of him grooming a little goatee.

caving in

By today, the wasp had been making random appearances from time to time, but he was looking more and more beat. His little sticky legs weren't so sticky anymore, and he was stumbling in flight. I was starting to wonder if it was really in his best interest for me to keep him here.

That's when I caved, and he became my pet. The first thing I did was go straight to the fridge and bite a nibble off, and present it to him. He was all over it as soon as I set it down, and he rubbed his back legs together in delight. It's like he wanted to dance, but couldn't be distracted from eating. He's been devouring for almost an hour now. I wonder what other food he likes.

the beginning

2 days ago, I heard a buzzing sound. 

I looked up, and there was a curious little wasp flying around. I don't know how he got here, but I didn't want to push him outside; it's been cold recently, and I was afraid he would die. I chose instead to give him some time to figure out a better plan, like maybe finding a greenhouse to move into.

Bugs are really fascinating, I think. For instance, I did not know that the abdomen throbbed like an accordian (I imagine that's him breathing). There's no stinger that I can see, so I wonder - is it retractable, or do not all wasps have them? Or is it so tiny I just can't detect it? His wings are so narrow and thin, it's a wonder that he can take off as fast as he does, and hover quietly in the air like I've seen. His whole body is so delicate, how can there even be room for nerves to fit in those spindly legs and antennae? The fine divisions between head/thorax/abdomen is something else again - how is it that he doesn't break apart? Marvelous.