POECILOPOMPILUS INTERRUPTUS
Poecilopompilus interruptus
SPIDER WASP FAMILY (Pompilidae)
This is an ornate wasp approximately 1/2 inch or 13 mm in length. It has long orange antennae, bold reddish-brown and yellow bands on the abdomen and yellow and brown markings on the thorax. The legs are brown and yellow and the wings are brown. Apparently the amount of red, brown and yellow markings varies greatly between individuals. Males have straight or gently curved antennae and females have antennae that curl at the tips.
This wasp is rare in our area, as it has been photographed only once (8/4/05) in Fontenelle Forest. It can be found nectaring on flowers in mid-summer to early autumn.
This is a solitary hunting wasp and a paper wasp mimic. The female digs tunnels in the ground for its nest. It stashes paralyzed orb weaving spiders (Araneid) as food for its larvae. The females of this family of wasps (Pompilidae) are known to have a powerful sting, more painful than the sting of the Velvet Ant.
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