Great Black Wasp
Sphex pensylvanicus
Sphecidae
Entirely, dramatically black — body, legs, wings — with an iridescent blue sheen if the light catches it right. Large (up to 1.4 inches), solitary, and completely non-aggressive to humans. Females hunt katydids and grasshoppers; adults visit flowers heavily for nectar.
How to spot one.
1–1.4 inches long — very large
Entirely glossy jet-black body
Smoky-black wings with blue-violet iridescence
Slender waist ("wasp waist") between thorax and abdomen
No yellow, orange, or red markings anywhere
How it lives.
Solitary ground-nester. Female digs vertical burrow, then hunts katydids and grasshoppers, paralyzes them with a sting, and drags them into the burrow to feed larvae. Non-defensive; will not attack humans even when hovering nearby.
The spec sheet.
- Type
- Wasp
- Active
- July – September
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- stable
- Family
- Sphecidae
What it needs.
Plants this species visits, feeds on, or depends on. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Nectar source
Nectar source
Common milkweed
Nectar source
Boneset, sweet clover
Nectar source
Xerces Society · Wildseed Project
Others in this group.
- SiNative · NJ
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Sphex ichneumoneus
A large, striking orange-and-black solitary wasp that looks alarming and is completely harmless to humans. Female visits flowers heavily for nectar, h…
- SdNative · NJ
Blue-winged Scoliid Wasp
Scolia dubia
A large striking wasp with black wings that flash iridescent blue in sunlight. It exists to eat Japanese beetle grubs — female wasps burrow into the g…