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Sphex pensylvanicus
Since the great black wasp is not aggressive and is an important predator of harmful insects and a good pollinator of flowering plants, there is no reason for the homeowner to control them. However, if their presence alarms you, slowly and carefully move away from the wasp and contact your pest management professional for his advice and recommendations. The great black wasp is also known as the Katydid Hunter and Steel-blue Cricket Hunter.
The commonly considered distribution of this wasp is the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. Great black wasps are not aggressive due to the fact they do not have a colony to defend and are categorized as solitary wasps. Although their common name sounds intimidating, their name comes from the size of the insect, rather than the aggressiveness of the insect. In fact, male adults do not have the ability to sting and their only purpose in nature is to mate. Females can sting, but only do so if their nest is threatened. Great black wasps are subterranean wasps, meaning they live underground and construct small underground nests where they care for their offspring.
Spotted on Nov 3, 2015
Submitted on Nov 3, 2015
1 Comment
Nice find! This wasp looks more like a paper wasp of some type. This is likely a Northern Paper Wasp, Polistes fuscatus. Here is a link so you may compare: http://bugguide.net/node/view/14227
Sphex pensylvanicus looks a bit different. Here is a reference with good images: http://bugguide.net/node/view/5530
Notice how the Great Black Wasp has wings that are folded over the back and the body and wings are blue-black in color, unlike your wasp which has wings out to the side and is brown/yellow in coloration.