Thread-waisted Wasp

Ammophila sp.

OrderHymenoptera

FamilySphecidae

HabitatSunny open ground with sandy or loose soil and wildflowers

SeasonLate spring through fall

LocationDavis Mountains Preserve, Madera Canyon Road, Texas, Jeff Davis County, Texas

Size~1-1.5 in / 25-38 mm

DietAdults drink nectar; larvae eat caterpillars provided by the female

ConservationNot evaluated; common and widespread

CameraNikon Z9Lens400mmAperturef/9Shutter1/2000ISO800

A Thread-waisted Wasp hunting the wildflowers at the Davis Mountains Preserve.

About the Thread-waisted Wasp

Thread-waisted wasps are slender hunters with a waist so thin it looks like a piece of thread connecting the thorax to the abdomen. This one wears the classic pattern of black with a bright orange band on the abdomen.

The female is a skilled provider. She digs a burrow, then hunts a caterpillar, paralyzes it with her sting, and drags it back to the nest for her larva to eat. Some species even use a small pebble as a tool to tamp down the soil over the finished nest.

Despite their sting, these wasps are calm and are rarely a threat to people. This one was resting on a sunny boulder in the Davis Mountains Preserve on June 15, 2023.

Want to see a Thread-waisted Wasp in the wild?
Join one of my guided birding tours! Fine art prints of my photos are also available.

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