#scoliidae

[razehider]

for their size and hairiness, scoliids are shy and slippery creatures that i don't even bother trying to photograph half the time i see them. luckily, i came across this Scolia hirta who had decided the weather was un-summerlike and went to sleep early, and let me get some shots despite some half-assed thrashing on his part. two things of note on his abdomen - on the very tip you can see long spines that characterize him as a male, while on the dorsum you can see a spooky halloween face

(July 11th, 2025)

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Mammoth wasps are the largest wasp in Europe; females can reach up to 4.5 cm (1.8 in) in length! These wasps are also fuzzier than other wasp species, often bearing resemblance to bumble bees-- or woolly mammoths. Like many wasps, mammoth wasps are parasites. In particular, females target European rhinoceros beetle larvae into which they lay their eggs so that their young will have a readily-available food source when they emerge.

(Image: A mammoth wasp (Megascolia maculata) by Alexander Fateryga)

[hazerl]

Triscolia ardens | micron pen, color pencil, and white gel pen | July 2025 | Hazel Fricke

[ichneumoniid]

Scoliid wasp appreciation post!!

These beautiful wasps are parasitoids of scarab larvae, including the Japanese beetle, which is a common invasive species where I live

(Scolia dubia dubia, Scolia bicincta, Scolia nobilitata nobilitata, 8&9/2025)

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

Megascolia maculata!

Looks like after a recent taxonomy review the mammoth wasp is now under the scientific name Regiscolia maculata, how cool!

Have you seen the mammoth wasp (Regiscolia maculata)?

I have now

Yes, in photos/videos

Yes, irl

I'm not sure

Voting ended onDec 17, 2025

In Europe, this is the largest species of wasp. It is a parasitoid of scarab beetles, and feeds on nectar as an adult. Both wasps pictured in this poll are male. Females have a yellow head with shorter antennae.

[bowelfly]

as a doctor i'm prescribing you 700mg of look at some bugs

[miyrumiyru]

Tiny mites on her thorax ;(

Cute hornets are also pollinating flowers!

[platycryptus]

The four-spotted scoliid (Pygodasis quadrimaculata) is a large wasp found in scrubland and other open, sandy habitats in the southeast US. Scoliids are solitary hunters that rummage on the ground in search of scarab beetle grubs, which they will pursue by burrowing below ground, paralyze, and lay an egg on. Like most solitary wasps, they have no interest in humans and will not sting unless handled roughly.

In the habitats where I’ve seen P. quadrimaculata in Florida, ox beetles (Strategus antaeus) are by far the most common scarabs with grubs big enough to serve as a host for a wasp of this size, so I assume that’s their main prey.

(Florida, 9/23/23)