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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Apoid Wasps (Apoidea)- traditional Sphecidae » Thread-waisted Wasps (Sphecidae) » Ammophila » Ammophila pictipennis
Photo#51536
Thread-waisted Wasp - Ammophila pictipennis
Copyright © 2006 sashajade

Thread-waisted Wasp - Ammophila pictipennis
Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina, USA
May 8, 2006
First time I've seen this species. There were several of them in a field of dry weeds. They had a common habit of dropping off of the weeds any time I would move or get close to them. It was really funny. I have no idea what this means. Anyone?

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Thread-waisted Wasp - Ammophila pictipennis Thread-waisted Wasp - Ammophila pictipennis Thread-waisted Wasp - Ammophila pictipennis
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Contributed by sashajade on 10 May, 2006 - 2:13am
Last updated 23 October, 2008 - 2:42pm

Moved
Moved from Ammophila.
… Eric R. Eaton, 13 June, 2007 - 7:26pm login or register to post comments

Thread-waisted Wasp
This is a Thread-waisted Wasp, which is a type of Digger Wasp. Use the following image to compare: http://bugguide.net/node/view/15514
… Aaron Michael Peterson, 10 May, 2006 - 2:37am login or register to post comments

digger wasp
I think this is some kind of Sphecid wasp in the subfamily sphecinae. It is holding its abdomen in an odd way. You can tell it's not a fly because of the 4 wings and the long thick antennae.
… Keith Bayless, 10 May, 2006 - 2:27am login or register to post comments

 
oh...
I've heard of digger wasps before. I wasn't sure, so thanks. :)
… sashajade, 10 May, 2006 - 2:32am login or register to post comments

 
Waking up or going to bed.
The wasps are in their "sleeping" posture, whereby they grab a stalk in their mandibles and prop their bodies at about a forty-five degree angle. They often gather in loose groups to "bed down" for the night, beginning just before dusk, and possibly during inclement weather as well. Don't know at what hour you took these images.
… Eric R. Eaton, 12 May, 2006 - 6:03pm login or register to post comments

 
You're right
Eric, you're right with it being one hour before dusk that these photos were taken. However, I can say that today and a few days following taking these photos, that I have seen this exact same species in broad daylight within the same area in which the photos here were taken. There were a good number of them.
… sashajade, 13 May, 2006 - 10:26pm login or register to post comments

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