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great black wasp |
More photos… |
Sphex pennsylvanicus |
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| Order |
Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) |
| Suborder |
Apocrita (Ants, Bees, and Wasps) |
| Family |
Sphecidae (Thread-waisted Wasps) |
| Subfamily |
Sphecinae |
| Tribe |
Sphecini |
| Status |
Uncommon |
| Habitat |
Meadows, fields. |
| Season |
July to September |
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| Identification |
This is a large black wasp, up to 1″ in length, with dark blue wings. The females are larger than the males. |
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| Larval Food |
Paralyzed katydid |
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| Adult Food |
Flower nectar and/or pollen |
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| Life Cycle |
It creates a nest in soft earth and then provisions it with 2 to 6, usually 3, katydids in the genera Microcentrum and Scudderia. It then lays eggs in the nest. When the larvae hatch they feed on the still living but paralyzed katydids. |
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Similar
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| Range |
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| Sightings |
Blanket Flower Prairie SNA
Chippewa Prairie
Crow-Hassan Park Reserve |
Mound Spring Prairie SNA
Oronoco Prairie SNA
River Terrace Prairie SNA |
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Common
Names |
great black wasp
Katydid Hunter |
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