Bug FAQPoecilopompilus algidus
Poecilopompilus algidus · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Pompilidae
Poecilopompilus algidus is a sand-dwelling wasp that ranges from Ontario down through the United States, Mexico, Central America and as far south as Argentina. Females are 13 to 28 mm long, usually larger than males, and they hunt orb-weaving spiders (family Araneidae) to stock their burrows. In northern areas it has one generation per year, flying from mid-summer to late autumn, while in warmer regions it may have several generations.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
In many places the wasp is mostly black with a red spot on the metasoma, and females have three strong spines on the front tarsi.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 13 and 28 mm, with females generally larger than males.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers sandy, fossorial habitats but can also be found in well-vegetated areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Females provision their nests with orb-weaving spiders of the family Araneidae, which they hunt in the understory.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In northern areas the species is active from mid-summer through late autumn.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range extends from Ontario south through the United States, Mexico and Central America to Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with its close relative Poecilopompilus interruptus and, in the south, with paper wasps of the genus Polistes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 32 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Texas, Illinois, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Mexico, Louisiana.
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
When are Poecilopompilus algidus wasps active?
In the north they fly from mid-summer to late autumn, while in warmer regions they may appear multiple times a year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do Poecilopompilus algidus wasps hunt?
Females hunt orb-weaving spiders (family Araneidae) to stock their burrows.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pompilidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilopompilus_algidus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.