Bug FAQEntypus fulvicornis
Entypus fulvicornis · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Pompilidae
Entypus fulvicornis is a medium-to-large wasp that is smaller than the giant spider-wasps of the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis. It lives in open fields and at forest edges in eastern North America, but it is never found deep in woods. Adults hunt wolf spiders such as Hogna and Schizocosa avida and also sip nectar from a wide variety of flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The wings are black or dark brown, unlike the orange wings of many other Entypus species. Its antennae are yellow, a common trait in its genus.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Entypus fulvicornis ranges from medium to large size, though it is not as big as Pepsis or Hemipepsis wasps.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is typically seen in open fields and along forest edges. It never occurs in deep woodland interiors.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It hunts wolf spiders, including species of the genus Hogna and Schizocosa avida. Adults frequently drink nectar from many kinds of flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Its nests are usually built in holes that other animals have made.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
It nectars on a wide range of flower families such as Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae and others.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is found in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is mimicked by the stingless ichneumon wasp Gnamptopelta obsidianator.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Kansas, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does Entypus fulvicornis eat?
It hunts wolf spiders like Hogna and Schizocosa avida, and adults also sip nectar from many flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find Entypus fulvicornis?
It lives in eastern North America, especially in open fields and at forest edges, but not deep in woods.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pompilidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entypus_fulvicornis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.