While sitting on the beach at Sandy Lake yesterday, I noticed a large number of plump "bees" burrowing into the sand. These were female sand wasps which lay eggs within the burrows and provide paralyzed insects for the larvae to feast on once they hatch.
Male sand wasps neither dig burrows nor feed the larvae; like many human males, their parental activity is limited to sperm donation. While the adult females spend much of their time hunting for insects to feed the larvae, they, like the adult males, feed primarily on nectar, thereby pollinating a variety of flowers.
Sand wasps are found across the globe, utilizing the sandy soil of beaches, floodplains, deserts and prairies. Since they are colonial nesters, these wasps are often overlooked until one comes across their nesting site (or until the wasps start digging near your beach chair).
Male sand wasps neither dig burrows nor feed the larvae; like many human males, their parental activity is limited to sperm donation. While the adult females spend much of their time hunting for insects to feed the larvae, they, like the adult males, feed primarily on nectar, thereby pollinating a variety of flowers.
Sand wasps are found across the globe, utilizing the sandy soil of beaches, floodplains, deserts and prairies. Since they are colonial nesters, these wasps are often overlooked until one comes across their nesting site (or until the wasps start digging near your beach chair).
