Ammophila

Ammophila wasps are a type of thread-waisted wasps, often referred to as sand wasps because of their nest building habits around sandy soil land.

They are also known as hunting wasps, classically hunting caterpillars by grabbing them with their influential jaws and paralyzing them with stings. Like cricket hunters, they dray their prey back to the nest as food for the young.

Ammophila do not exist in their nests. Rather, they can frequently be found resting with the jaws firmly gripping a twig. Most species contain variations of red and black color markings on the thorax and abdomen.