Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 409

Sphex funerarius is a large, solitary, ground-nesting wasp found in southern and central parts of Europe and spread eastward to Central Asia. It has a length of 15-23 millimeters and is black with an orange-red band on the anterior abdomen. The females of this species dig a nest and store several grasshoppers in each brood chamber along with an egg. The larvae feed on these paralyzed insects, and after hatching, they take about 18 days to grow fully. The adults of Sphex funerarius fly in July and August and feed on the nectar of various flowers.