Bug FAQGold-marked Thread-waisted Wasp
Eremnophila aureonotata · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Sphecidae
Females dig vertical sand or loam burrows to lay eggs and supply each nest with a single caterpillar; adults sip nectar while the larvae eat the caterpillars.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on nectar; the larvae feed on caterpillars.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs in North and South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Maryland, Georgia, Texas, Massachusetts, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Sphecidae)
Yellow-legged Mud-dauber WaspSceliphron caementariumCan sting
Common Blue Mud-dauber WaspChalybion californicumCan sting
Great Golden Digger WaspSphex ichneumoneus
Great Black Digger WaspSphex pensylvanicusCan sting
Mexican Grass-carrying WaspIsodontia mexicana
Common Thread-waisted WaspAmmophila proceraSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eremnophila_aureonotata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.