Ammophila Wasps

Types of Wasps and Bees Types of Bees Types of Wasps

Ammophila wasps are a genus of thread-waisted wasps, often referred to as sand wasps because of their nest building habits around sandy soil terrain.

They are also known as hunting wasps, typically hunting caterpillars by grabbing them with their powerful jaws and paralyzing them with stings. Like cricket hunters, they drag their prey back to the nest as food for the young.

Ammophila do not live in their nests. Rather, they can often be found resting with the jaws tightly gripping a twig.

The top picture shows them to be long, skinny wasps with very pronounced thin waists. Most species have variations of red and black color markings on the thorax and abdomen.

The bottom picture shows a group of three either fighting or mating. See Crime Pays for a photographic essay on Ammophila nest building and nest usurpation behavior.

© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels