Found a couple of these buzzing around my mountain mints this evening. Just wondering what they are, as they are much larger than what I typically see!!

Very likely a Spider Wasp in the Family Pompilidae, there will be more than you find on bugguide.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/...

I'm inclined to place it in the Tribe Pompilini ..

http://bugguide.net/node/view/...

It could also be in a different family such as Sphecidae!

http://bugguide.net/node/view/...

Anoplius aethiops is possible, location seems to fit but this is only a guess.

http://bugeric.blogspot.co.uk/...

http://eol.org/pages/2738687/o...

thanks, Janet! Cool links. I am leaning towards Sphex pensylvanicus, great black wasp--the pics look like it, plus the size, which I would have put at larger than 1.5 inches!!

The blue-black colouring on the wing looks to match Sphex pensylvanicus, not many wasps are that size so it seems a good match. There's thousands of wasps but some are quite common and more easily recognised.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp...:

http://www.discoverlife.org/20...

thanks, Janet--great photos! Yes, the size was absolutely amazing, and caused me to go back in my house and get my camera, as I had never seen anything like it!

It's nice to know they are beneficial for so many things--controlling the katydid population, pollinating milkweed, and providing food for birds. Just hope my pesticide-happy neighbor doesn't start spraying across the fence again!