Great Black Wasp Facts
Wasps came into this world roughly 240 million years ago during the mid-Triassic period, and they’ve evolved into over 30,000 different species today. Roughly 4,000 species of which belong to the United States, including the black wasp, with thousands upon thousands still waiting to be discovered across the globe.
Great black wasp Quick Facts
| Common name | Great black wasp |
| Scientific name | Sphex pensylvanicus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Sphecidae |
| Genus | Sphex |
| Type | Insect (solitary digger wasp) |
| Diet | Grasshoppers, katydids, crickets, cicadas; flower nectar |
| Habitat | Burrows; many climates |
| Native range | North America |
| Size | Females 1.3-1.5 inches, males up to 1.1 inches |
| Colours | All black with bluish metallic wings |
Some of the smartest scientists in the world say ants evolved from wasps between 140-and-168 million years ago. The same could be said for bees as well, which interestingly enough also evolved from wasps about 120 million years ago during the mid-Cretaceous.
Fast forward 120 million years and here we are at the beginning of 2023, where insects have never been so dominant. Sure, they used to be bigger, but their diversity has really grown over the years, to where there are an estimated 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 in the world right now across 5.5 million species.
And, there’s also upwards of another 30 million yet to be discovered.
That brings us to today’s topic, the great black wasp.
Black Wasp Distribution
Great black wasps are found across much of North America, mostly east of the Rocky Mountains. They are quite the adaptable species, as they can survive in a multitude of climates, though they are most common in the eastern and southern United States.
Considering their wide distribution, there are also a number of subspecies of black wasp.
Black Wasp Identification
Females are generally larger than males, measuring between 1.3-and-1.5 inches at full maturity, while males rarely exceed 1.1 inches. They are a species of digger wasp, meaning the dig burrows that they inhabit.
Black wasps are quite easy to identify, due to their entirely black color. Most other wasps have stripes, or some other kind of distinctive marking. These do not however, and they have a slight blueish metallic appearance to their wings.
Black Wasp Diet
Black wasps feed on a variety of insects, such as grasshoppers, locusts, cicadas, katydids, and crickets. They will also consume nectar from flowers, given its high energy content due to the sugars in it.
Black Wasp Venom
Though painful, the venom of a black wasp is no more potent than the average bee sting. If you’re allergic to insect stings however, you could be in trouble should you get stung.
In contrast, like bees, only female wasps possess the ability to sting their prey, and unlike bees, they can sting multiple times in the same attack.
Luckily for us humans however, black wasps are a solitary species, meaning they don’t have a colony of others to defend them should they attack. This makes them a non-aggressive species to humans.
But, should you aggravate them, they will certainly attack just as any other wasp would.
Considering males cannot sting, their sole purpose of life is to mate and reproduce.
Black Wasp Reproduction
Adult female black wasps hunt grasshoppers, katydids, or crickets to provide food for their young.
They sting the prey, paralyzing it, and carry it to a burrow, where the female lays an egg on it.
The paralyzed insect is stored in the burrow as food, and the larva eats it as it grows.
Black wasps help pollinate milkweed plants, which then attracts butterflies to the plant. This makes them a very important part of our ecosystem in the states.
If you enjoyed this piece, feel free to share it on social media!
Great black wasp FAQs
What does a great black wasp look like?
It is entirely black, which is unusual because most wasps have stripes. Its wings have a slight bluish metallic shine.
What do great black wasps eat?
Black wasps eat insects such as grasshoppers, locusts, cicadas, katydids and crickets. They also drink sugary nectar from flowers.
Are great black wasps dangerous?
Not very. They are solitary, so they have no colony to defend and are not aggressive to people. Their sting hurts about as much as a bee sting, but they will sting if you bother them.
How big are great black wasps?
Females are larger, about 1.3 to 1.5 inches long. Males rarely get longer than 1.1 inches.
Can male great black wasps sting?
No, only females can sting. Female wasps can sting more than once, unlike honey bees.
I started writing in the fourth quarter of 2018. I wrote solely about MMA and boxing up until October of 2022, where I began writing about animals; primarily dangerous, venomous species. They’ve always fascinated me. Considering, my goal is to make a living by teaching people about these wonderful creatures. You can check out my Facebook page, where every article I’ve ever written currently sits, or you can check out my Twitter page, where I’ve shared all of my animal pieces to date.
