ExploreInsects

Great Golden Digger Wasp

Sphex ichneumoneus

The Great Golden Digger Wasp is a shiny yellow and black insect that digs in the ground to make homes for its babies. They are busy workers and help keep our gardens healthy by controlling pests.

Habitat: Urban areas

Appearance

The Great Golden Digger Wasp has a slender body with a distinctive, bright golden-orange abdomen. Its head and thorax are black, contrasting with golden-orange legs and smoky, iridescent wings. It's often mistaken for a hornet but is more graceful.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderHymenopteraFamilySphecidaeGenusSphex
Great Golden Digger Wasp
striped trait badgesolitary trait badgeburrowing trait badgecolorful trait badge
Great Golden Digger Wasp

Category

Insects

Rarity

Common

Danger

2/5 · Low

Snaps

Be the first to snap!

Interesting facts

A mother wasp digs her own nursery tunnels, sometimes over a foot long!

Adult wasps are peaceful nectar drinkers, not aggressive stingers.

They can carry prey much heavier and larger than themselves!

They mostly feed their babies paralyzed crickets or katydids.

Special abilities

Ability

Paralytic Sting

Great Golden Digger Wasp can paralyze large prey with its venom, keeping it fresh for its developing young.

Ability

Expert Excavator

Great Golden Digger Wasp can dig intricate underground burrows because of its strong legs and digging claws.

Ability

Prey Navigator

Great Golden Digger Wasp can remember its burrow's location, even after a long hunt carrying heavy prey.

Measurements & details

Wingspan
25-40 mm
Size
12-24 mm
Lifespan
14-30 days
Flight Speed
25 km/h
Leg Count
6

Diet & Feeding

Adults sip sweet flower nectar, but their young feast on paralyzed insects stored in underground nurseries!

Age differences: Adults feed on nectar, while larvae consume paralyzed insects provided by the mother.

Primary Foods

  • Gryllus pennsylvanicus
  • Scudderia furcata
  • Conocephalus strictus
  • nectar

Foraging Method

  • Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

Fall Field Cricket

Gryllus pennsylvanicus

primary food source for larvae

hunts

Fork-tailed Bush Katydid

Scudderia furcata

common prey species for larvae

parasitizes

Flesh Fly

Sarcophaga lherminieri

larvae can feed on wasp's stored prey

pollinates

Canada Goldenrod

Solidago canadensis

adults visit flowers for nectar

eaten by

Eastern Bluebird

Sialia sialis

adult wasps can be bird food

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

2/5 · Low

Stay calm if you see a wasp and don't bother it; they are usually not harmful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Great Golden Digger Wasp's wingspan?

25-40 mm

How big is Great Golden Digger Wasp?

12-24 mm

How long does Great Golden Digger Wasp live?

14-30 days

How fast can Great Golden Digger Wasp fly?

25 km/h

What does Great Golden Digger Wasp eat?

Adults sip sweet flower nectar, but their young feast on paralyzed insects stored in underground nurseries!

Where is Great Golden Digger Wasp usually found?

Urban areas

How does Great Golden Digger Wasp hunt?

Pursuit

How many legs does Great Golden Digger Wasp have?

6

Snap Map

Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.

Loading map…

Recent Snaps

Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.

Where to spot

More Insects