The term “black wasp” refers to a variety of large, solitary insects, including digger and spider wasps like the Great Black Wasp, Cicada Killer, and Tarantula Hawk. The diet of these insects is sharply divided: adults consume nourishment for maintenance, while developing young require protein-rich provisions for growth.
Identifying the Black Wasp Species
The specific prey choice of a black wasp is highly specialized, depending on the particular species encountered. For instance, the Great Black Wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus) targets large, soft-bodied insects like katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers. Another prominent species is the Cicada Killer (Sphecius speciosus), which focuses almost exclusively on annual cicadas.
In the southwestern United States, the striking blue-black Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis genus) specializes in hunting large spiders, including tarantulas. Mud Daubers, which may also be black or blue-black, primarily provision their nests with spiders, sometimes even targeting venomous species like the black widow.
The Adult Wasp’s Energy Source
The mature, flying adult black wasp primarily relies on simple sugars for energy. These wasps are nectivorous, consuming nectar collected from flowers to fuel their extensive flights. This provides the rapid energy necessary for demanding tasks like digging burrows, scouting territories, and hunting.
Adults also seek out other readily available sugar sources, such as honeydew, a sugary secretion left by sap-feeding insects like aphids. Tree sap and the juice from overripe fruit can also serve as temporary energy boosts. This high-carbohydrate diet is sufficient for the adult’s survival but lacks the protein required for the next generation’s development.
The Larval Diet: Specialized Prey
Larval development requires a dense protein source to complete metamorphosis. The female wasp engages in provisioning, hunting, paralyzing, and sealing prey into a subterranean or mud-constructed nest cell. The specific prey chosen is entirely species-dependent, reflecting a highly evolved predator-prey relationship.
For example, a female Cicada Killer will sting a cicada to paralyze it, often by targeting the insect’s thoracic ganglia, which leaves the prey alive but immobile. She then drags or flies the massive, comatose insect back to a burrow chamber and lays a single egg upon it. Similarly, a Tarantula Hawk will sting its arachnid prey, rendering the large spider motionless before dragging it into a sheltered space.
Once the wasp egg hatches, the larva begins to consume the immobilized victim. The larva feeds selectively, initially consuming the non-vital tissues and fluids of the prey to keep it fresh and alive for as long as possible. This ensures a sustained food supply throughout the larval stage until it is large enough to pupate. The number of prey items per cell can vary; a Mud Dauber may stuff a single cell with up to two dozen small spiders, while a Cicada Killer typically uses one or two large cicadas.