File: <sphecidaesub

Ampulicinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles The subfamily Ampulicinae contains species that seldom dig burrows, but rather utilize natural cavities for nests, which are provisioned with immature cockroaches. Williams (1919b) described the behavior of Dolichurus stantoni Ashm., which attacks nymphs of several genera of cockroaches. The agile cockroaches are located by the female who grasps one by a cercus or leg, and then stings it in the throat or thorax. As only partial paralysis ensues, the cockroach is able to continue slow movement. Then the wasp grasps an antenna near the base and leads or drags the prey to the nest (Clausen 1940/1962). The female positions the prey in the nest, and lays an egg rather obliquely on one of the middle coxae. After hatching in 1-2 days, the larval feeding period is completed in 4-5 days. D. stantoni as introduced to Hawaii from the Philippines in 1917 and became well established.

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Astatinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles The family is distributed worldwide except in Australasia and has around 154 species in 6 genera as of 2000. Finnamore & Michener (1993) noted the subfamilies: Astatinae, Dinetinae and Laphyragoginae. Adults nest in the soil, and these are supplied with true bugs. There are about 35 species in North America Finnamore & Michener (1993).

Astatine wasps are a cosmopolitan group of solitary wasps. The largest genus in this subfamily is Astata, peculiar for their males having very large compound eyes that broadly meet at the top of the head.

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Bembicinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles Species of the subfamily Bembicinae construct their nests in the soil, storing them with adult flies, such as Syrphidae and Tabanidae. A few species are known to prey on Orthoptera, and there are records of other insect groups serving as food for Bembex broods (Wheeler & Down 1933). An African species of Bembex was found to attack lycaenid butterflies, and another Bembex sp. in Australia captures adult damselflies for its brood. The latter was presumed to be a temporary measure made necessary by the absence of the normal food insects. Larvae are fed freshly killed prey throughout their development.

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Cercerinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles Williams (1919b) observed that Cerceris angularis Ckll. in the Philippines stores its nests principally with long-horned beetles, while C. spiniger Roh. shows a preference for Chrysomelidae. In both species, the contents of the cells sometimes comprise representatives of both families. The egg is attached longitudinally to one beetle's venter. The prey of Cerceris is usually stung in the cervix and while being carried to the nest is grasped by the neck or thorax with only the mandibles. P. Marchal (Clausen 1940/1962) noted the extensive malaxation of the throat of bees of the genus Halictus by C. rybiensis L. (= ornata Marchal) and the extensive feeding that took place on fluids exuding from the puncture

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Crabroninae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles The subfamily Crabroninae contains a large number of species of small parasitoids that build their nests in hollow stems, burrows in the soil or abandoned wood galleries. The latter are usually those of beetle borers, and may be further enlarged by the new occupant to provide cells for its brood. The nests are of two types, one being linear and consisting of a row of cells, the second having lateral galleries branching from the main tunnel. Prey are exceedingly varied, ranging from mites and spiders to adult Coleoptera, Diptera, Homoptera, Ephemeroptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera (Clausen 1940/1962). The subfamily is not wholly beneficial because of the attack on spiders and some parasitic and predaceous Hymenoptera and Diptera. Syrphid flies are frequently attacked, and in Europe Lindenius pygmaeus Rossi provisions its cells with chalcidoids of the genus Pteromalus. There is no obvious consistency in the selection of prey by the various species, as the species of a single genus may utilize Diptera, Hymenoptera or Coleoptera. A single parasitoid species may limit itself to only one sex of the host, while the opposite extreme is found in examples of species preying on several orders (Hamm & Richards 1926).

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Larrinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles All of the American genera of Larrinae are ground nesting but one extralimital genus is known to nest in twigs. The North American species prey upon various Orthoptera. However, no prey preference has been reported for our single species of Prosopigastra; in Europe some species of the genus prey upon Hemiptera and Homoptera. One extralimital genus preys upon lepidopterous larvae.

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Mellininae. -- Habits ; Adults Juveniles Mellininae is a small subfamily about which not much is known. There are only 17 described species in two genera. Several species make their burrows in sandy locations and provision them with adult Diptera (Clausen 1940/1962).

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Nyssoninae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles There are relatively few genera and species in the subfamily Nyssoninae. Their prey consists mainly of Homoptera, especially Cercopidae and Membracidae. Gorytes costalis Cress. utilizes adults of several genera and each of the several cells in the nest in the soil is provisioned with 3-6 tree hoppers. These are permanently paralyzed and die within a week, which usually is the time between laying of the wasp egg and completion of larval feeding. G. brasiliensis Shuck. is similar in its habits, but provisions its nests with various Fulgoridae in South America (Clausen 1940/1962).

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Pemphredoninae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles Members of the subfamily Pemphredonidae construct galleries in twigs or wood, sometimes using the abandoned galleries of wood-boring insects, and store their brood cells with aphids. Other species prey on other small Homoptera. The nesting behavior of Stigmus americanus Pack. was studied by Peckham & Peckham (1895). This species a enlarges old burrows in decaying wood. Several wasps may utilize the same gallery, though they nest separately. Each well, when complete, contains about 24 dead aphids, mixed with grains of pith, and the egg is laid on the body of one of these prey.

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Philanthinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles This subfamilly is one of the largest groups in the Sphecidae, although there are only 9 identified genera. The subfamily has also been given family status at times. Members are solitary, predatory wasps, each genus with a unique prey preferences. Mature females dig tunnels in the ground to nest.

As with all other sphecoid wasps, the larvae are carnivorous, and females seek prey on which to lays their eggs. They provision the nest cells with paralyzed, living prey that the larvae feed on.

The notorious "bee wolf," Philanthus triangulum F. (= apivorus Latr.) is of special concern to bee keepers in some parts of Europe. An extended account of this insect in relation to honeybees was presented by Fabre (1891). Female Philanthus kills the adult bee by stinging it in the throat, after which she begins an extensive malaxation of the throat by means of which the honey in the crop is forced up to the mouth, where it is consumed. Alternate malaxation and feeding may continue for more than an hour. Then the prey is dragged to the burrow, which extends 1 m or more into the soil and ends in a group of cells, in one of which the bee is placed. The egg is then laid ventrally on the thorax. Clausen (1940) mentioned that it is believed that the larvae are not able to mature on bees which have not been deprived of honey. A much larger number of bees is killed than can be used for stocking the nest.

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Pseninae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles The subfamily is small, members provisioning their nests with Homoptera. The behavior of Psen barthi Vier., that provisions its nest with adult leafhoppers, was studied by Barth (1907). The latter are grasped by the neck or thorax with the middle legs and held with the venter or side up, when being carried to the nest. The nest is situated in an old log and comprises a small number of cells, in each of which 3-5 leafhoppers are placed, the latter probably being killed by stinging during capture. The egg is attached to the thorax of one of the leafhoppers in the cell. Williams (1919c) recorded similar behavior in Nesomimesa hawaiiensis Perk. Clausen (1940) noted that P. pallidipes Panz. (= atratus Panz.) stored its nests with 25-30 paralyzed aphids. Nests are constructed in May, which continues until the season's end.

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Sphecinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles Most species of Sphecinae construct their nests in the soil, although some also form them in hollow stems or construct mud cells on foliage, etc. Some may confine themselves to a single host species, while others may attack individuals of several related families. The pey varies, ranging from spiders to grasshoppers, mole crickets, locusts, lepidopterous larvae and cockroaches. Among the common genera, Sceliphron and Chalybion store their nests with spiders. C. cyaneum Dahlb. of North America utilizes the black widow spider. Chlorion, Podium, and Trigonaspis prey on a variety of Orthoptera; some species of Sphex attack larger Orthoptera, mainly grasshoppers; others of the genus store their nests with larvae of Lepidoptera.

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Stizinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles Members of the subfamily Stizinae prey on Homoptera and Orthoptera. There are relatively few species. The large cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus Drury is one of the more common species in North America. it stores its nests with adults of the periodical cicada, Magicicada septendecim L. (Riley 1892). Wasps appear in the field in July and August. The cicada is completely paralyzed by the sting, but it has been found that they will, under right conditions, persist in good physical conditions for more than one year. The prey is of such a large size that the wasp has difficulty in transporting to the nest. Thus, she adopts an expedient means whereby the prey is dragged to some height in a tree, after which she glides with it as far as possible toward the nest. The procedure may be repeated several times until the nest is reached. Sometimes two cicadas are placed in a single cell, but usually only one. The egg is laid at one side of the thoracic venter, and hatching ensues in 2-3 days, with larval feeding completed in a week. The cocoon is spun in the cell in the soil and is conspicuous by having two irregular rows of "pores" at one side which are thought to serve for ventilation (Clausen 1940/1962).

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Trypoxylinae. -- Habits; Adults Juveniles In the subfamily Trypoxyloninae, nests are often constructed of a large number of mud cells, arranged often in tubular form on a solid surface. Each aggregation may comprise the cells of a number of successive generations. Other species use crevices or holes in walls, stems, etc., or they may burrow in soil. Almost always they provision their cells with spiders (Clausen 1940/1962).

Peckhams (1895, 1898) studied Trypoxylon rubrocinctum Peck. and T. albopilosum Fox, where females utilize existing burrows in woodwork or masonry that have been abandoned. T. rubrocinctum provisions its cells with 7-12 spiders, while T. albopilosum, being larger, requires 25-30. Prey may represent many genera and even families, although the majority usually are in the Epeiridae. An egg is laid on the side of the abdomen's dorsum of the last spider placed in the cell (Clausen 1940/1962).

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References: Please refer to <biology.ref.htm>