Thread-waisted wasps (Ammophila) have an extraordinarily slender, elongated waist (petiole) that allows flexible movement while dragging paralyzed caterpillars back to their burrows. Individual females show what appears to be tool use, tamping down soil at the burrow entrance with a small pebble held in their mandibles. They are solitary, non-aggressive, and important predators of caterpillars.
Best time to see a Thread-waisted Wasp
The best time to see a Thread-waisted Wasp is July–September, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 2,019 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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