DIGITAL FIELD GUIDE: WASPS (Order: Hymenoptera)
Red Velvet Scoliid
<-- from Key Location 2a
Triscolia ardens
Scolia dubia
Identification features: We cannot tell the difference between the genera Scolia and Triscolia in the field. These wasps are large and robust, nearly an inch long. The head, antennae, and thorax are dark black. The base of the abdomen, (the part nearest the thorax), is also dark black. The wings are dark, iridescent blue-black. The most recognizable character is the apical half of the abdomen, which has red-orange integument (skin) covered in red-orange pubescence (hairs). In other field guides they are commonly pictured with two prominent yellow spots on its abdomen, but we saw none marked this way.
Nesting habit and prey: Females spend most of their time underground, searching for scarab beetle grubs, especially June beetles and Japanese beetles. When she finds a grub, she paralyzes it with a sting. Then she digs a nest burrow, or she may use the grub’s own burrow. She lays an egg on the paralyzed grub and seals up the nest.
The Red Velvet Wasp as pollinator: Adults of both sexes are frequent visitors to flowers where they go in search of nectar. We observed them on plants with shallow open flowers including soapberry, mortonia, Texas kidneywood, sunflowers, and sumacs.
