Great Golden Digger Wasp
Sphex ichneumoneus
This bug has been reportedly found in the following regions:
Vincent, Alabama
Barling, Arkansas
Marion, Arkansas
Fullerton, California
San Diego, California
Santa Monica, California
Tustin, California
Brooksville, Florida
Tennille, Georgia
Waycross, Georgia
Bartelso, Illinois
Galva, Illinois
La Grange Park, Illinois
Winthrop Harbor, Illinois
Atalissa, Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Slater, Iowa
Yale, Iowa
Baldwin City, Kansas
Benton, Kentucky
Madison, Maine
Scarborough, Maine
Skowhegan, Maine
East Brookfield, Massachusetts
Framingham, Massachusetts(2 reports)
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
New Baltimore, Michigan
New London, Minnesota
Cole Camp, Missouri
Leslie, Missouri
Bow, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Branchville, New Jersey
Silver City, New Mexico
Albany, New York
Endicott, New York
Wappingers Falls, New York
Chardon, Ohio
Pleasant Hill, Ohio
Gold Hill, Oregon
Redmond, Oregon
Austin, Texas
Denton, Texas
Charlottesville, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
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wtchdrmd
whitehorse9mark
Papa2Girls
I'm sharing an image here that I got.
PsyKo
peyasis
shadowspawn
dmith7777
ejhonda
murrmi2
Bonnie_Russell
But here they were! There were three of them, busily tending to their digging and foraging. I learned on this site that the adults eat flower nectar. I had assumed that they ate ants, or ant larvae, because when the diggers appear, the ant colonies that build nests among the pavers disappear within days!
Early one evening a few years ago, I heard a harsh "craawk" sound outside my front door. I looked out and there on the newell post perched a ... read more
laurielynn
kellysvixen
ottawassprite
Last year I brought several specimens (alive) into my niece's class to show her classmates. I had several of them crawling over both me and my niece showing just how docile this particular species is. I do not recommend this to everyone as if panicked or startled these wasps do pack quite a sting.
I can confirm them as being in my area of Ottawa, Ontario. I can not give the zip code as Canada does not use zip codes.
frogfanatic
shire
Loess01
I haven't found any way yet to discourage them from digging where people and pets are nearby. So far no one's gotten stung, but I'm sorry to say several of these big wasps have met an untimely end because at times they do like to get a little too up close and personal with people who aren't comfortable around them.
greenham
maktunghi
melody
They look fierce, but rarely sting, and are quite curious about people and pets.
The adults eat nectar from various flowers and the larvae feed upon insects captured by the parent and stored in the burrow for their nourishnent.
Often seen flying low across the lawns searching for suitable insects for the burrow. They spend the daylight hours searching and taking nectar, flying to roost in the evenings.
Considered a beneficial insect because of the type of insects it preys on.