Bug FAQRusty Spider Wasp
Tachypompilus ferrugineus · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Pompilidae
The rusty spider wasp is a 15 to 25 mm reddish-brown wasp with four dark bands on its abdomen and violet-blue wings. It builds nests under trees or buildings in dry, powdery soil and is found from Canada through the United States down to South America and the Caribbean. Adults sip nectar from a variety of wildflowers, while females hunt spiders, paralyze them, and the larvae feed on the live prey.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is mostly reddish-brown with four narrow dark bands around the abdomen and has violet-blue wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The body length ranges from about 15 to 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are often located under trees or buildings, preferring dry, powdery soil for construction.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults have been recorded feeding on nectar from many plants such as sumac, water hemlock, and mint species. Females grasp spiders by the chelicerae or pedipalps and drag them backward along the ground.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The wasp larva that emerges feeds on the live, paralyzed spider it was placed on.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs from Canada south through the United States, Mexico, Central America, and into South America and the Caribbean.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, North Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the rusty spider wasp look like?
It is mostly reddish-brown with four narrow dark bands around the abdomen and has violet-blue wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find rusty spider wasps?
They are found from Canada through the United States, Mexico, Central America, and into South America and the Caribbean.
Source: Wikipedia
What do these wasps eat?
Adults feed on nectar from a variety of wildflowers, and females hunt spiders to provision their nests.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pompilidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachypompilus_ferrugineus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.