The long abdomen ('tail') of the female invokes trepidation among humans, but its primary purpose is not to sting. It is actually used to deposit eggs onto the backs of grubs living underground. She pokes deep into the soil until she hits one. She then lays one egg on it and moves on. When the egg hatches, the wasp larva will then burrow into the helpless grub and eat it from the inside out.
The male has a shorter abdomen with a swollen tip. They are rarely seen. Females have bulging legs in addition to the extremely long and thin abdomen.
Adults feed on nectar from garden plants, woods and other areas. They are low fliers, staying close to the ground and sometimes are spotted perched on low growing shrubs or plants.