Cerceris fumipennis

Description

Cerceris fumipennis, the only species of buprestid-hunting Crabronidae occurring in eastern North America, is found throughout the continental United States east of the Rockies: from Texas and Florida, north to Maine and Wyoming and is now known from more than twenty colonies of varying size in Canada. The wasps are most often nesting in open areas of hard-packed sandy soil surrounded by woody habitat suitable for their buprestid beetle prey. Ontario colonies are associated with somewhat disturbed sites compacted by human activity such as baseball diamonds, parking areas, infrequently used roads, roadsides, footpaths and the soil around campfire pits.