About Podium rufipes Fabricius, 1804
Podium rufipes is a species of thread-waisted wasp belonging to the family Sphecidae. Adults of this species reach an average length of 19 mm (0.75 in). The body is black with a subtle blue tint, while the legs are red, with at least the basal fourth of the femora usually being black. Female Podium rufipes either repurpose abandoned nests originally built by other species such as Sceliphron and wood-boring beetles, or construct their own trap nests within wood. The wasp provisions the larvae of this species with paralyzed cockroach nymphs.
