Insect in New Mexico Garden
Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA
September 4, 2011 5:06 pm
Wondering what this creature is – it is about 1.5-2 inches in length and was crawling in the sand/clay near a low stone wall in my back yard. It spread its wings briefly but not again before disappearing into the stones so I didn’t get a picture of the wingspread. Thanks for your help!
Signature: mnchilemom
Dear mnchilemom,
You had an encounter with a Spider Wasp in the family Pompilidae, and we believe it is in the tribe Pepsini, a group that includes the Tarantula Hawks. You may browse through the possibilities on BugGuide.
Thank you so much! I look forward to reading your book on my iPad!