I am fascinated by the diversity of our native pollinators! I particularly love learning about lesser-known and underappreciated ones. For example, meet this beautiful wasp with iridescent, dark blue wings and two bright yellow lines on their rear. This is the two-spotted scoliid wasp (Scolia dubia), a very valuable garden visitor.
Two-Spotted Scoliid Wasps
Sue Watts, ©2025, SC Botanical Garden, Clemson University
Identifying Two-Spotted Scoliid Wasps in the Lawn
If you come across wasps hovering over, burrowing into, or emerging from your lawn in the summer, don’t panic and immediately rush for pest control. Take time to identify your visitors, they may be the gentle, solitary two-spotted scollid wasp or another member of the scollid wasp family. Only the females can sting, and they are usually too preoccupied with finding a place to lay their eggs!
Natural Pest Control of Japanese Beetles and June Bugs
Why are these wasps so valuable? First, they are excellent at pest control. The females burrow into lawns to paralyze and then lay their eggs on or near a scarab beetle larva. They are particularly attracted to grass-root eating, June bugs and perhaps, more importantly, the gardener’s nemesis, the invasive Japanese beetles, which are voracious plant-eaters.
Once the eggs are laid and hatched, the wasp larva consumes the still living beetle larva (yuck!). Then, they overwinter in cocoons to emerge the following summer,
Pollinator Role of Two-Spotted Scoliid Wasps
As adults, the two-spotted scollid wasps are active pollinators. These adults are swarming a particularly favorite nectar source, a garlic chive flowerhead. You might also find them working on goldenrod, mountain mint and rattlesnake master. The presence of these gentle wasps is a good indicator that nature is working its pest-control magic while you watch these beautiful creatures pollinate your flowers.
Insects Hovering Over A Lawn
View a video of the two-spotted scollid wasps hovering over a lawn: North Georgia Native Plant Nursery, LLC Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=536611774093628
References
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Animal Diversity Web: Scolia dubia
Penn State Extension: Blue Winged Wasp, Scolia dubia – is a Real Asset!
Missouri Department of Conservation: General Guide to Scollid Wasps
