The head, thorax, and upper abdomen of the Blue-winged Scoliid Wasp (Scolia dubia) are black and hairy. But after the second abdominal segment, the wasp is a maroon-crimson with two paired short bands of yellow on the first segment of red. The wings are an iridescent midnight blue, earning this wasp its name.
Females search out beetle larvae and burrow down to reach their chosen host. She stings the beetle larva, lays an egg on it, and leaves. The egg hatches a short time later and starts feeding on the beetle larva from rear to front—prolonging the life of the beetle. Eventually, the beetle larva will succumb to its parasitoid’s feeding behavior and die, after which the blue-winged scoliid larva spins itself into a silken cocoon, where it will remain until the spring.
Size
Large: ¾–1 inch (20–25mm)
Active Periods
August–October, peak in September
Food Source
Scarab beetle larvae, particularly green June beetles (Cotinis nitida) and Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica)
Overwintering
Overwinter belowground as a prepupae in silken cocoons
