Sand Wasp

The Sand Wasp (Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus), also called Stink Bug Hunter, burrows in sand as you might have guessed. They sometimes catch other bugs, but their favorite prey is the stink bug nymph, especially those of the brown marmorated stink bug, which is an invasive species from Asia. The female paralyzes about a dozen to place in her burrow and lays one egg with them. She then covers the entrance. The larva that hatches eats the nymphs. As with most solitary wasps, they are not aggressive toward people. If you don't like stink bugs, you should find out how to attract the Sand Wasp to your yard. The adults are pollinators as they are sustained by the nectar of flowers. There are over 1,200 species of the Sand Wasp. Many are black and white or black and yellow like those shown here.