It attacked the grasshopper! What is it?

[txdon]

With little grass and a lot of grasshoppers I was glad to see nature take it's course. "THEY" say that if you don't poison the beneficial insects will hold the non-beneficial incests in check. This wasp attacked, stung and drug the grasshopper about 30 feet. It then set the grasshopper on a rock, dug a hole and put the grasshopper in the hole.

Can you help me identify this wasp?

 

[3RRL]

Out here we have "Tarantula Hawks" that do that behavior only with spiders...big ones like tarantulas or funnel spiders. Only thing is I can't tell if yours is one. They have a bluish-black body with orange wings. They are large...about 1-½" to 2" long. What is that orange in your photo?...can't tell clearly? Is this what it looks like?

 

[txdon]

That is not it Rob, the wings on my wasp are black and the last segment, with the stinger, is red. It is a good flyer and a good dragger.

 

[Alan L.]

With little grass and a lot of grasshoppers I was glad to see nature take it's course. "THEY" say that if you don't poison the beneficial insects will hold the non-beneficial incests in check. This wasp attacked, stung and drug the grasshopper about 30 feet. It then set the grasshopper on a rock, dug a hole and put the grasshopper in the hole.

Can you help me identify this wasp?

I knew wasps were good for something. Those white egrets / cow birds around here are our biggest natural predators of grasshoppers.

 

[monkeymonk]

We have wasps that do the same thing..... But their butts are blue not sure of the real name? We don't believe in pesticides and rely on companion planting etc.. Yes mother nature does keep things in check pretty well. But when she doesn't we go Organic/OMNI

I guess Iam one of "THEY" or Them

 

[jinman]

That is not it Rob, the wings on my wasp are black and the last segment, with the stinger, is red. It is a good flyer and a good dragger.

And here is a green predator.

"THEY" say that if you don't poison the beneficial insects will hold the non-beneficial incests in check.

So...can you tell us about the "non-beneficial incests"? Keep it in the family?

Sorry Don, that typo was just to good to resist.

 

[_RaT_]

Jim, that praying mantis has a look that says, "you talking to me!?" We have more praying Mantis's this year then ever. Very cool insects.

 

[AB4D]

TXDon,

It may be a Sphecid Wasp, although I am no expert. Check out whatsthatbug.com/wasp2, I saw a photo of a wasp there that looked similar to the one you are trying to identify.

Jim

 

[sendero]

Jim, that praying mantis has a look that says, "you talking to me!?" We have more praying Mantis's this year then ever. Very cool insects.

Strange, because we have the same thing here in N. Texas. I've seen 5-6 of them, and they are generally hard to see. Usually see one every couple of years.

 

[dieselsmoke1]

Can you help me identify this wasp?

Yep, believe I can help you with this one. Check here.

 

[jinman]

Dieselsmoke, I don't believe Don's wasp is a Cicada Killer. The Cicada Killer is a much bigger (up to 2" long) wasp/hornet with yellow spots or bands on it's abdomen. Don's wasp looks much smaller at around 3/4" to 1" long. I think it's a Florida Hunting Wasp. My Nat'l Audubon book of insects and the attached link both show this wasp to be blue-black with a large reddish/brown abdomen. The picture in the link makes the wasp look much heavier than the picture in the Audubon book. Anyhow, here are two links with pictures for comparison.

Cicada Killer


Florida Hunting Wasp (Palmodes dimidiatus)

The Florida Hunting Wasp shown in this picture is from Michigan, but they range all over North America except in the northwest.

 

[dieselsmoke1]

Yep, you're right. I forgot exactly the color of a cicada killer till I killed one this morning.