| Pemphredon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pemphredon sp. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Crabronidae |
| Subtribe: | Pemphredonina |
| Genus: | Pemphredon Latreille, 1796 |
Pemphredon is a genus of digger wasps (Spheciformes) from the family Crabronidae. The genus is common in the Holarctic, [1] with 12 species represented in Europe. [2] Several species are considered beneficial because of their specialization in aphids. [1]
Pemphredon species are often small and black coloured and have some similarity with ants. They have a short, furrowed abdominal stem, two submarginal cells in the forewing and a well developed head, especially behind the compound eyes. The species identification is difficult.
Based on the course of the submarginal veins the genus is divided into three species groups, which some authors also regard as subgenera. These are the lugubris, morio and lethifer groups. In the former, the outer vein of the second submarginal cell meets the marginal cell noticeably below the middle and the second returning vein ends in the second submarginal cell, which is usually longer than wide. In the morio group, the outer vein meets the marginal cell in the middle and the second submarginal cell is wider than long. Another feature of this group is a small spike between the antennae. In the third group, the outer vein meets the marginal cell near the middle, but the second returning vein joins before or just below the second submarginal cell, which is usually the same length or longer than wide. [1]
The females usually build their nests in hollow or marrowy stems or branches. Some species also use abandoned feeding tunnels in the wood or build their nests in plant galls. If there is a lack of space, the cells lie in lines one behind the other, otherwise they are branched. Short side passages are often first filled with bore dust and only later developed into cells. Each cell is supplied with 10 to 60 Aphididae, whereby the selection of the species is unspecific. The prey is either stunned with a sting or killed with the mandibles. Then they are grabbed with the mandibles and transported to the nest. When a cell is completely supplied, an egg is laid on the ground or in the middle of the cell between the prey animals. In many species, the larvae do not pupate in a complete cocoon, but in a cap over the head, which can be a thin membrane that merges into the wall of the brood cell. Some species such as Pemphredon lethifer also produce a fine second membrane just below the cap. [1]
From the inner cells of the nest usually hatch females, from the outer males. The genus is proterandric, which means that the males hatch a few days before the females. In Central Europe, one generation per year is developed, in favourable years it can be two. The imagines of many species feed on honeydew, but sometimes also on the aphids themselves. Parasitoids of the genus are reported to be from the cuckoo wasps, ichneumon flies, Gasteruptiidae and chalcidoid wasps. [1]
Mud dauber is a name commonly applied to a number of wasps from either the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae which build their nests from mud; this excludes members of the family Vespidae, which are instead referred to as "potter wasps". Mud daubers belong to different families and are variable in appearance. Most are long, slender wasps about 1 inch (25 mm) in length. The name refers to the nests that are made by the female wasps, which consist of mud molded into place by the wasp's mandibles. Mud daubers are not normally aggressive, but can become belligerent when threatened. Stings are uncommon.
Mass provisioning is a form of parental investment in which an adult insect, most commonly a hymenopteran such as a bee or wasp, stocks all the food for each of her offspring in a small chamber before she lays the egg. This behavior is common in both solitary and eusocial bees, though essentially absent in eusocial wasps.
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. The wasps do not constitute a clade, a complete natural group with a single ancestor, as bees and ants are deeply nested within the wasps, having evolved from wasp ancestors. Wasps that are members of the clade Aculeata can sting their prey.
The subfamily Pemphredoninae also known as the aphid wasps, is a large group in the wasp family Crabronidae, with over 1000 species. Historically, this subfamily has frequently been accorded family status. In some recent phylogenetic analyses, one of the subtribes within this group is the sister lineage to the superfamily Apoidea, and accorded family rank as Ammoplanidae along with Pemphredonidae and Psenidae so as to keep families monophyletic.
Insect morphology is the study and description of the physical form of insects. The terminology used to describe insects is similar to that used for other arthropods due to their shared evolutionary history. Three physical features separate insects from other arthropods: they have a body divided into three regions, three pairs of legs, and mouthparts located outside of the head capsule. This position of the mouthparts divides them from their closest relatives, the non-insect hexapods, which include Protura, Diplura, and Collembola.
The thin-waisted social wasps, which typically reside in Neotropical regions from Central to South America, are a small genus of wasps that build nests and live in colonies ranging in size from 1 to 18 members. Microstigmus is widely considered to be the only true eusocial species within the family Crabronidae. Like all Hymenoptera, Microstigmus has an interesting sex determination pattern. Females are 2n (diploid), spawning from eggs that have been fertilized, while males are 1n (haploid) and spawn from unfertilized eggs. Female wasps contain the eggs within their egg sac and have the option of fertilizing them or not, thus having complete control of the gender of their offspring. This wasp genus, part of the suborder Apocrita, is distinguished physically by the narrow waist (petiole) between the end segment of the thorax (mesosoma) and the beginning of the abdomen (metasoma). Specifically, it is in the subgroup of "apoid wasps", those that exhibit social behavior in nesting and foraging. Evidence does exist that in some species social altruism is visible; however, studies on these topics have been limited. The small size and enclosed nest structure makes it difficult to obtain significant data. Although it was originally classified under the Sphecidae family due to its elongated petiole, Microstigmus has been reclassified into the new Crabronidae family.
Pompilus cinereus, the leaden spider wasp is the most widespread species of the Pompilus spider wasps, and throughout a large proportion of its wide distribution is the only species of Pompilus. It is the type species of the genus Pompilus and therefore of the family Pompilidae.
Kollasmosoma sentum is a parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, which lays its eggs inside adult ants. It was featured as one of "the top 10 new species of 2012" in a list compiled by Conservationists at the Arizona State University International Institute for Species Exploration.
Polistes carnifex, commonly known as the executioner wasp, is a neotropical vespid wasp in the cosmopolitan genus Polistes.
Megachile gentilis is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Cresson in 1872.
Megachile illustris is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by T B Mitchell in 1930.
Parachartergus fraternus is a neotropical, swarm founding, polistine wasp species that is distributed throughout Central and South America. They live in nests in second growth tropical dry forests, near pasture fields, roadside areas, and urban areas as well. These wasps eat insects, such as caterpillars of Lepidoptera. They also drink nectar, honeydew, and water. The workers capture their prey during foraging. They also use venom to paralyze their prey in order to consume it later. P. fraternus wasps are not very aggressive and they do not attack when the nest is approached.
Chrysis ignita is a species of cuckoo wasp. It is one of a group of species which are difficult to separate and which may be referred to as ruby-tailed wasps.
Megachile oenotherae is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Mitchell in 1924.
Megachile umatillensis is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Mitchell in 1927.
Nomia is a cosmopolitan genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae. Many species have opalescent bands on the metasoma. Nomia species are moderate-sized bees that nest in the ground. Most species nest solitarily, but some species also nest communally where females share a nest but where there are no queen or worker castes. Nomia species are found Africa, tropical Asia, Australia, and in North America. There are about 130 species world wide.
Anoplius concinnus is a widespread Eurasian species of spider wasp.
Odynerus spinipes, the spiny mason wasp, is a species of potter wasp from western Europe. It is the type species of the genus Odynerus, being first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Cerceris rybyensis, the ornate tailed digger wasp, is a Palearctic species of solitary wasp from the family Crabronidae which specialised in hunting small to medium-sized mining bees. It is the type species of the genus Cerceris and was named as Sphex rybyensis by Carl Linnaeus in 1771.
Omalus aeneus is a species of cuckoo wasps belonging to the family Chrysididae.