Sphex pensylvanicus Linnaeus 1763. Distributed
transcontinentally in North America, except for northwestern states
(Krombein 1979). Sphex pensylvanicus appears to be less common
throughout its range than S. ichneumoneus. Most Michigan records are
from the SLP, and it appears that it is absent from the extreme NLP
BIOLOGY: This wasp nests in soft ground, usually in sheltered locations. Prey are katydids (Tettigoniidae), with Scudderia spp. commonly reported. The oblique burrow contains several cells with 2 - 6 prey in each (Reinhard 1929, Frisch 1938, Krombein 1979, F.E. Kurczewski pers. comm.).
FLOWER RECORDS: Asclepias spp., Daucus carota, Eryngium yuccafolium, Melilotus alba.
COLLECTION DATES: 68 specimens, 19 June to 5 September. Most dates are from late July to mid-August.
BACK to Main Page