[3] During the late 20th century, its range expanded north to New York[4] and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario.

[8] Adult females of S. pensylvanicus build an underground nest which they provision with various orthopteran insects,[9] particularly of the genera Microcentrum, Amblycorypha and Scudderia.

[6] Prey are stung three times, once in the neck and twice in the thorax, and are paralyzed by the wasp's sting, although they can survive for weeks.

[10] It has also been reported on Daucus carota, Eryngium yuccifolium, Melilotus albus,[11] Monarda punctata , and Pycnanthemum virginianum[12] S. pensylvanicus is one of several species of Sphex to be parasitized by the strepsipteran Paraxenos westwoodi.

[7] Sphex pensylvanicus was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1763 work Centuria Insectorum, using material sent to him by Charles De Geer.