Bug FAQHorse Guard Wasp
Stictia carolina · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Crabronidae
The horse guard wasp is a large, colorful, fast-flying wasp whose genus name means “spotted” and whose species name refers to the eastern US state where it lives. Females dig 15 cm deep burrows with a single enlarged chamber, stock each chamber with dozens of paralyzed horse-flies or occasional other flies, lay one egg, seal the nest, and repeat for each egg.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The generic name Stictia derives from the Greek word for “spotted,” and the specific name carolina points to the eastern US state where the species is native.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It is a large, colorful wasp that flies quickly.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Horse owners sometimes eliminate these wasps because they do not realize the insects help control horse-flies that bother horses and cattle.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
A female builds a new burrow for each egg, fills the chamber with 30 to 60 paralyzed flies or sometimes silver-spotted skipper larvae, then seals it before starting another nest.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs east of the 100th meridian in the United States, reaching as far north as Pennsylvania, and the name carolina refers to its native eastern state.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is one of 28 similar-looking Stictia species that occur throughout North and South America and share the same biology.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 25 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Illinois, Texas, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey.
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
Why are horse guard wasps considered beneficial?
They hunt and kill biting horse-flies, reducing the insects that bother horses and cattle.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I identify a horse guard wasp?
Look for a large, colorful, fast-flying wasp; the genus name means “spotted,” and the species name refers to the eastern US state of Carolina.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crabronidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_guard_wasp
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.