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great black wasp |
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Sphex pensylvanicus |
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| Taxonomy | Order: |
Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies) |
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Suborder: |
Apocrita (wasps, ants and bees) |
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No Rank: |
Aculeata |
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Superfamily: |
Sphecoidea |
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Family: |
Sphecidae (digger wasps) |
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Subfamily: |
Sphecinae (thread-waisted wasps) |
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Tribe: |
Sphecini |
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Genus: |
Sphex |
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Subgenus: |
Sphex |
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| Status | Uncommon |
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| Habitat | Meadows, fields. |
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| Season | July to September |
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| Size |
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| Identification | This is a large black wasp, up to |
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| Similar Species |
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| Larval Food | Paralyzed katydids |
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| Adult Food | Flower nectar and/or pollen |
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| Life Cycle | The female 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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| Behavior |
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| Range |  |
Sources: 7. |
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| Sightings | |||||||
| Comments |
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| Synonyms |
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| Common Names |
great black wasp katydid hunter |
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