Subterranean-nester
Guides
Eremnophila
thread-waisted wasps
Eremnophila is a genus of solitary thread-waisted wasps in the family Sphecidae, comprising approximately nine described species distributed primarily across the Americas. These wasps are specialized caterpillar hunters that provision subterranean nests with paralyzed prey for their larvae. Adults are frequent flower visitors, particularly to spotted horsemint (Monarda punctata), goldenrods, and other late-summer asters. A distinctive behavioral trait involves prolonged tandem mating, where males grasp females by the neck and accompany them during foraging activities.
Sphex lucae
katydid hunter
Sphex lucae is a solitary thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, native to western North America. This species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism: females have a black body with red abdomen and yellowish to violaceous wings, while males are entirely black with violaceous wings. Females are fossorial hunters that excavate subterranean burrows and provision them with paralyzed katydids as food for their larvae. Males form communal sleeping clusters in sheltered locations. The species is the sole North American representative of the subgenus Fernaldina, named for entomologist Henry Torsey Fernald.