Common Thread-Waisted Wasp moves across the ground at Idylwild WMA.

The Common Thread-Waisted Wasp (Ammophila procera) is a very popular series of solitary wasp across the U.S., and, of course, is found in Maryland.

This Common Thread-Waisted Wasp attempts to hide among tall grass and flowers.

I tagged this guy at Idylwild Wildlife Management Area in late summer. He was scuttling across the ground at crazy speeds, picking up once in a while to fly a few feet, but mostly stayed put walking through the sandy ground and shrubs of grass.

His long body just screams “Wasp” so it was easy to flip through a few pages and identify the species. The red-band across the abdomen is very unique and obviously where this species’ name comes from.

Other wasps may had full red backsides, or completely red bodies, but that stripe across the waist was very rare, and so this one is easy to point out.

I have only encountered one at Idylwild, but I’m fairly certain it would be a popular species across the state.