This is a medium-sized wasp approximately 3/4 inch or 20 mm in length. The females are very colorful with red eyes and red and yellow color on the head. The thorax is black with 2 narrow red bands. The abdomen has 2 wide yellow bands on the first segment. The remainder is mostly black with varying amounts of red. The legs are orange and the antennae are mostly black with red at the base. The males are more slender with green eyes. The head is black and the thorax is black with 2 narrow yellow bands. The abdomen is mostly banded with black and yellow, but some individuals can have varying amounts of red also. As in the female, the legs are orange and the antennae are mostly black with red at the base. Wing color seems to be variable for both sexes ranging from tawny in some individuals to bluish black in others.
This species is common in Fontenelle Forest in July and August and has been seen as late as October. It nectars at flowers such as Queen Anne’s Lace, Swamp Milkweed, Virginia Mountain Mint and Goldenrod.
This solitary wasp is in the subfamily Philanthinae. The female provisions her nest with weevils of the genus Sphenophorus. She digs an underground burrow for her nest in areas of hard-packed, relatively fine sandy soil such as road shoulders or sandy parking lots.
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