Red-belted Sand Wasp

Ammophila sabulosa, the red-banded sand wasp, is a species of the subfamily Ammophilinae of the solitary hunting wasp family Sphecidae, also called digger wasps. Found across Eurasia, the parasitoid wasp is notable for the mass provisioning behaviour of the females, hunting caterpillars mainly on sunny days, paralysing them with a sting, and burying them in a burrow with a single egg. The species is also remarkable for the extent to which females parasitise their own species, either stealing prey from nests of other females to provision their own nests, or in brood parasitism, removing the other female's egg and laying one of her own instead.

From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Is it venomous or poisonous?

We have no record of Red-belted Sand Wasp being toxic, poisonous or venomous. That is not proof that it is safe. Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.

Easily confused with

• Ammophila heydeni
• Ammophila urnaria
• Ammophila procera
• Ammophila nigricans
• Podalonia tydei
• Ammophila pictipennis

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Sphecidae

Genus

Ammophila

Species

Ammophila sabulosa

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