SAND WASP

any member of the insect tribe Bembicini of the family Sphecidae (order Hymenoptera). Sand wasps are solitary, stout-bodied insects about 2 to 2.5 centimetres (about 0.8 to 1 inch) long. They are most easily recognized by an elongated, triangular labrum, a beaklike mouthpart. Their nests are sand burrows, many of which are often clustered together. The larvae feed mainly on other insects caught by the parents. The horse-guard (Bembix carolina) of the southern United States often hunts for flies around horses. It is about 2.5 cm in length and is black with yellow or yellowish-green markings. Microbembex monodonta is found along the seashore. Many sand wasps are black with white, yellow, or green markings.