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Photo#129674
Ammophila wasp?  Any clues on species? - Ammophila procera - female

Ammophila wasp? Any clues on species? - Ammophila procera - Female
Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, USA
July 22, 2007
Size: 1 and 1/4 inches
Based on the guide, it seems to look like Ammophila something. White stripes on thorax. Had just finished pulling a large fat green caterpillar into the burrow, now digging to cover the opening with dirt. She (?) opened the burrow by removing a small flat rock, and seemed to want to close it in the same way. Not clear whether she tossed aside the two rocks she chose, or whether they fell into the hole.

Images of this individual: tag all
Ammophila wasp?  Any clues on species? - Ammophila procera - female Ammophila wasp?  Any clues on species? - Ammophila procera - female

Egg depositing?
Does the egg depositing happen before the caterpillar is dragged down under, or after?

Ammophila
Though I don't have any Ammophila listed for Maine, it looks an awful lot like the widespread A. procera. Great insects. No shot of the caterpillar?

 
I agree
it looks like A. procera

 
Thank you
for the quick ID!

 
Ask and you shall receive!
Hope I did the linking correctly. Should take you to the start of a series on this wasp, showing caterpillar etc.

The rest of the pix

 
Interesting link, and yes, you did it right.
Here's one for you, but I missed the caterpillar:
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/hymenopt/Ammophila.htm

 
Great series!
Great series, Ron! I love seeing (and doing) behavior series.

 
Wonderful! Keep at it, Anne.
The more people do it, the more people do it.

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