A 'friendly' wasp ...

Yes, it's true. There is a species that you will most certainly encounter at some point in your home or garage (should you be rich enough to have one). These small black, oddly-shaped and rapid-moving beasts look a little bit dodgy from afar, but fear not; they cannot sting or bite. In fact, they are completely harmless to humans and their pets. So what use are they? According to the Internet (research is easy these days), the female of these ensign wasps - as they are known - actually seek out and lay eggs in the oothecae (egg casing) of cockroaches, parasitizing them. This means that they are a good thing. 

However, I hate them for the fact that they are really difficult to photograph, as they move at a million miles an hour. I managed to get these half-decent photos, which highlight its extremely short abdomen and brilliant blue eyes. Looks great close up.

Order: Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps)

Family: Evaniidae

Vernacular name: Ensign Wasps

Scientific name: