Doomed

The caterpillar shown below is not dead. But it might as well be.

Note the stain it seems to be standing in. That's the remains of the 'pot' made by this week's Yard Critter of the Week, the Potter Wasp.

As noted in that post, the wasp catches a caterpillar, paralyzes it, and stuffs it in the pot as food for her brood. This one won't be brood food as I inadvertently smashed the pot. The wasp had chosen a particularly poor location, attaching the pot to the cover of one of our deck chairs. And it was by removing the cover that I destroyed her handiwork.

I've noticed several other pots about the homestead, so we'll have wasps next spring. But I feel bad, inadvertent home wrecker as I may be.

I feel bad for the caterpillar too.