About Mellinus arvensis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Mellinus arvensis, commonly known as the field digger wasp, is a species of solitary wasp. This wasp is most commonly found in sandy locations from July through late September or October. When in hard soil, females of this species will often attempt to steal an existing nest from another member of the same species. Female field digger wasps are larger than males. Nests of this species are underground, built as sandy burrows, and stocked with flies as food for the species' developing offspring. Like many other wasp species, Mellinus arvensis is yellow and black, but it has a narrower waist than many of these other species. This species is the most dominant species in the area immediately after forest fires.
