Hello Sage,

It's a blue wasp. They are common in the south. I always used to call them dirt daubers but later learned that they actually take over a dirt dauber's nest and use it. They sting spiders and pack them in the nest with their eggs. The spider is just put in a trance by the sting, but not killed. The larvae awake and eat the spider alive. So, we have nightmares about spiders, now you know what they have nightmares about! If you poke open their nests you get about five spiders all in a state of coma. They will barely be moving. It's a really cruel little creature you have there, but ain't he pretty?

-Malcolm