AboutEric R. Eaton Expertise I can answer most questions related to wasps, solitary bees, grasshoppers and katydids, beetles, cicadas, and spiders, especially requests to identify "mystery bugs" in North America!
Experience
Past/Present clients Principal author of the "Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America" (in bookstores now!), Smithsonian Institution (contract), Cincinnati Zoo (employer), Portland State University (contract), Chase Studio, Inc (employer), Arkansas Museum of Discovery (guest speaker), Krohn Conservatory, Cincinnati (volunteer trainer, guest speaker).
Expert: Eric R. Eaton Date: 7/6/2008 Subject: flying insect black with yellow stripes
Question QUESTION: for the past 2 or 3 summers we have had black flying insects with 2 yellow stripes that bore holes in the ground. Can you identify them for me.
Thanks
ANSWER: Dear Vickie:
You don't give me very much information here, having omitted where you live, what kind of habitat you live in (Urban? Hardwood forest? Coniferous forest? Desert? Swamp?), what size the insects are, etc.
Your description fits literally hundreds of species of solitary wasps in the family Crabronidae, and maybe a few entire families of solitary bees (Andrenidae, Apidae, Halictidae). I also suspect there is the implied question of "how do I get rid of them?"
Solitary wasps and bees are insects in which each female makes her own nest, often a burrow in the ground. Each burrow may have several cells, and the female provisions each cell with pollen and nectar (bees), or paralyzed insects or spiders (wasps). Once the cells are complete, the female closes the burrow and leaves. The nesting "season" for such insects is thus relatively short. Further, the females are not at all aggressive, and will not sting unless actually grabbed, or stepped on with bare feet. Males do not sting as they are anatomically unequipped to do so. However, the males of many species are territorial, and will sometimes behave aggressively toward people, just like any other intruder.
As we plow-under and pave-over ever more land, we leave fewer and fewer places of these insects to nest. Many have strict soil requirements, too, such as sandy soil, so they covet real estate wherever they can find it. You should consider yourself lucky to be hosting one of these fascinating and beneficial species. Bees will pollinate your flowers (and some wasps will, too, as they visit flowers in search of nectar), and wasps will rid your garden of unwanted pests like caterpillars and flies.
You might consider perusing images of the families mentioned above at:
or in my book, the "Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America." My reference places the crabronid wasps in the family Sphecidae, but I have since learned this is an outdated classification.
Feel free to ask any follow-up questions if you need to, but I have given you all the information I can based on the information 'you' gave 'me.'
QUESTION: i live in an urban area. Conway AR the insects are abount 3 inches long, they have never been aggressive. they do bring a large insect back to the "nest".
Thank you for your help.
Answer Vickie:
Ah, then you are talking about "cicada killers," Sphecius speciosus. There is a nice website about them run by Charles "Chuck" Holliday. Wish I had the URL handy, but I don't, sorry. He is at a university, I believe. I helped him and two other scientists look for cicadas here in Arizona last year. Thunderstorm outside now, I best be going:-)
