Four-banded Stink Bug Wasp

Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus

A single female wasp can stock her underground nest with up to a dozen stink bugs to feed a single developing larva.

Scientific name: Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus
Taxonomy: Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Crabronidae › Bicyrtes
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern
Population trend: stable
Biome: grassland
Habitat: Open sandy fields, dunes, meadows, and gardens with loose soil.
Diet: Adults feed on flower nectar; larvae feed on paralyzed stink bugs and leaf-footed bugs.
Range: North America, Central America
Size: 15-20 mm
Lifespan: 1 year (adults live 1-2 months)
Active: diurnal
Threats: Pesticide application, habitat destruction, and soil compaction which ruins nesting sites.
Safe to approach?: Harmless and non-aggressive. These solitary wasps will not defend their nests like social wasps. Observe them safely from 1-2 feet. If stung (only if handled or stepped on), wash with soap and water and apply ice.

Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus is a species of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is found in North America.

Photo: botanygirl, CC-BY, via iNaturalist