Digger Wasps (Sphex)
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Wasp species that sting and paralyze their prey, then bring it back to their nest as food for their young, are often referred to as parasitic wasps.
Members of the Sphex genus, whose species are commonly called digger wasps, fit into that category, feeding their young crickets and related insects. Their nick-name cricket-hunters refers to this fact.
Digger wasps come in a variety of colors from a uniform steel blue to black color to the orange and black body of the Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) shown in the top picture.
When they are not hunting crickets for their young, they spend their time nectaring on flowers. They sting, but are not aggressive.
© 2007 Patricia A. Michaels