Blue-Winged Wasp

The Blue-Winged Wasp (Scolia dubia) is one of the Scolid wasps, a species that hunts beetles to nourish its larva. There are approximately 20 varieties of Scolid wasps in North America. This one digs in the ground to find grubs of several kinds of beetles including the Scarab, June, and Japanese beetles. The female paralyzes the grub with her stinger and then often digs the same hole deeper and makes a chamber where she places the grub and lays an egg on it. The larva that hatches then feeds on the grub. The adults feed on nectar. A native species, they range widely in the United States. They do not sting people unless molested and are a boon to gardeners.