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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Thread-waisted Wasps (Sphecidae) » Sphecinae » Sphecini » Sphex » Great Black Digger Wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus)
Photo#5469
Great Black Wasp - Sphex pensylvanicus - female
Copyright © 2004 Cotinis

Great Black Wasp - Sphex pensylvanicus - Female
Fayetteville St. and Hwy 54, Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
July 28, 2004
Size: 28 mm
Size estimated. This is a super-common wasp here in Durham. They have been hanging out on cultivated patches of Clethra, Sweet Pepper-Bush.
I believe this is a female, since I saw a (smaller) male mount it briefly, though his advances were rejected. (This should be checked!)
Thanks to Eric Eaton for the id.
Images updated 9/5/20.

Images of this individual: tag all
Great Black Wasp - Sphex pensylvanicus - female Great Black Wasp - Sphex pensylvanicus - female Great Black Wasp - Sphex pensylvanicus - female
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Contributed by Cotinis on 4 August, 2004 - 7:29am
Last updated 5 September, 2020 - 11:40am

Neither:-)
Pat, this looks to me like Sphex pennsylvanica, a hunter of katydids. Your description sounds small, though. I have seen plenty of S. pennsylvanica females that greatly exceed the great golden digger wasps (Sphex ichneumoneus) in size. In flight they look gigantic, of course!
… Eric R. Eaton, 5 August, 2004 - 1:14pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks, size of critter
Well, maybe it's 25 mm or more. They move so fast, it is rather hard to get a feeling for the size. I'm sure you are correct. It is about the size of Sphex ichneumoneus, a species I do know.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina
… Cotinis, 6 August, 2004 - 6:07am login or register to post comments

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