The Beewolves Are Back

Being late in the day and only intermittently sunny, I didn't expect to find any wasps, but thought I could at least check the ball field for any active nests. Right away I noticed several new nests, the entrance holes with the characteristic alluvial debris field to one side. Prior to this, when I visited this site, there had only been a scattering of ant hills. A man walking two dogs waved to me and I waved back. I wondered how long he had watched me as I made my slow circuit of the bases. Perhaps he thought I had lost something?

The entrances to the first several nests were plugged, the wasp having closed herself in for the night. However, at the next several nests, wasps were still actively digging. I waited until one of the wasps to enter her nest, then hurried closer so that I could get a good look at the wasp when it came back out. And when it did emerge and resume kicking away the sand and small pebbles, I could see that it was a Corrugated Beewolf (Philanthus gibbosus), possibly the most common species in Minnesota.

This wasp had waited underground—nearly a full year—and was now actively creating new subterranean tunnels and cells. During the next few days and weeks it will begin hunting the small bees it uses to provision its nest.

Posted on June 30, 2017 02:47 AM by scottking