| Pison spinolae | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Crabronidae |
| Genus: | Pison |
| Species: | P. spinolae |
| Binomial name | |
| Pison spinolae Shuckard (1837) | |
Pison spinolae, commonly known as mason wasp, is a solitary wasp of the family Crabronidae, found throughout New Zealand.
Like all insects, P. spinolae has a hard exoskeleton, one pair of antennae and three pairs of legs. These legs are strong as they need to be able to carry spiders back to their nests for their young. [1] It has a segmented body divided into three sections; head, thorax and abdomen and two pairs of wings. An easily identifiable feature of the mason wasp, similar to other wasp species is the thin waist between the thorax and abdomen. This helps to tell the difference between a wasp and bee. The mason wasp is able to use its stinger repeatedly unlike bees. [2] It relies on this to inject venom into spiders which paralyses them and allows the adult female to carry the spider back to the nest. Unlike some commonly-known wasps, P. spinolae is not black and yellow, the adult's body is fully black and has a length of approximately 16 millimetres (0.63 in). [3] The nest of the mason wasp is constructed from predominantly sand and mud. It is small in size and widely abundant, found in places such as cracks of buildings and keyholes. The most obvious characteristic used for identification is the multiple single compartments sealed off from each other. Each contains a paralysed spider and an offspring of the adult female. [4] Understanding the features of the mason wasp nest make the Juvenile stages easier to identify. The egg of the mason wasp is a white elongated oval shape. Later this develops into larvae which are white with a distinctive head and a translucent cuticle. The larvae then form a cocoon which is cylindrical, grey and rounded at either end. [5]
This species is known as the mason wasp in English, and in Māori as ngaro wīwī (written "ngaro wiwi", without macrons, in older sources). Ngaro is a generic Māori word for fly or wasp, and wīwī conveys walking to distant places [6] (as in the phrase ki wīwī ki wāwā for going walkabout). [7] This name is used for all the New Zealand hunting wasps in the families Eumenidae, Pompilidae, and Sphecidae, such as Priocnemis monachus and Tachysphex nigerrimus. [8]
The genus Pison is abundant throughout tropical and temperate regions, mostly in the southern hemisphere. A large number of species are found in Australia. [9] P. spinolae is native to Australia and is thought to have been introduced to New Zealand around 1880. [10]
The mason wasp is found widely throughout New Zealand. [3] The abundance of this species is relatively common but not of significant abundance to cause drastic effects on its prey populations. [11] It was accidentally introduced from Australia circa the year 1880. [12] Despite being a non-native species, Pison spinolae is by far the most commonly found mason wasp in the country, meaning it has occasionally been called the New Zealand mason wasp. [12]
Sand wasps have a diverse range of habitats, from sand dunes to nesting in cracks of buildings. P. spinolae, like other species in the genus Pison, construct nests in holes in wood, keyholes and even crevices on ships and aircraft. This allows humans to widely distribute the species without knowing. [9]
An egg is laid by the female adult which is a white elongated oval shape. This develops into larvae which are white with a distinctive head and a translucent cuticle. In less than three weeks the final larval stage is reached. The formation of the cocoon begins within one month after the egg was laid. The cocoon of the Pison genus are cylindrical, grey and rounded at either end. [5] Unlike most New Zealand sphecids P. spinolae is bivoltine. This includes a summer generation without a diapause and a winter generation with diapause. All New Zealand species in the family Sphecidae spend at least the winter in a prepupal diapause. In the spring following the diapause the prepupa moults into an exarate pupa which is a pupal stage with moveable appendages. Pupal development occurs for 14 days and results in an adult wasp emerging. [5] At the time of emergence solitary male wasps patrol nesting areas. This is when the females’ reproductive cycle is most sexually receptive. Most solitary wasp species will mate just once in their lives, this is generally at the time of emergence. Mating attempts have not been observed around feeding sites or other locations. It is not known if this mating behaviour is different in bivoltine species such as P. spinolae, where males of the first generation could possibly mate with females of both generations if they live long enough. [1]
Adult sand wasps obtain carbohydrates in the form of nectar from flowers and honeydew. Adult Pison wasps do not normally eat live prey although there have been rare observations of adults feeding on mosquitoes and other insects. This is not a common behaviour but possibly increases when nectar is scarce. [1] The female wasps forage for spiders which are brought back to the nest for their young. The female paralyses the spiders via a sting and carries it back to the nest. It is placed in an individual compartment where the adult female lays an egg inside or on the spider. The compartment is then sealed off from other eggs using mud or dung. The paralysed spiders stays in the chamber and does not decay, the emerging larva then eats the spider for nutrients. Each compartment is adjacent to another egg and spider to create a large nest. Sealing off the eggs from each other is most likely done to prevent competition and ensure the young obtains sufficient food. [9] P. spinolae and the smaller relative Pison morosum have similar preferences for prey including spiders which indicates that these species may compete for prey to some extent. [13] Although little is known about this relationship, it could aid in understanding the foraging behaviour of P. spinolae.
P. spinolae is the primary host for Melittobia australica . M. australica has a wide geographic range although an individual will remain close to the host throughout its life cycle. The origin of M. australica is not yet known. [14] Upon finding the host the adult female inserts her ovipositor to deposit her eggs into the host. This is generally done at the larval or pupal stage of the life cycle of P. spinolae. [15] Melittobia clavicornis , is also a parasite of P. spinolae. It is the most common animal found in mason wasp nests. It is often found in the cocoon of P. spinolae at the pupal stage. Nests infested with M. clavicornis can have up to 50% mortality rate of P. spinolae. [16] It is not known how M. clavicornis enters the cocoon. One predicted strategy is that once it has entered a nest with cocoons already formed it bores a hole through the cocoon to feed off the pupae. The second is that the adult lays its eggs on the larva before the cocoon is constructed. There have been many observations finding that cocoons often contain mites; Pyemotes ventricosus and Tyrophagus castellanii . Both mite species appeared to gain entrance through the holes formed by M. clavicornis. It is not known the effect these mites have on P. Spinolae. [16]
The mason wasp is a solitary wasp meaning the adult lives on its own, not in colonies like honey bees. The female will spend most of her lifespan building a nest. Whilst doing this she makes a whining noise during the processing of the mud. [3] After the female has laid her eggs there is no further maternal care given to the offspring. The paralysed spider in the nest is the only form of care provided for the emerging offspring. The male patrols the nest to wait for the emerging females so he can fertilise as soon as they leave the nest. After this there is no further courtship or interaction between mates. [1] The adults are usually active during the day and in direct sunlight. Activity is very low in overcast conditions and rain [5]
Sceliphron caementarium, also known as the yellow-legged mud-dauber wasp, black-and-yellow mud dauber, or black-waisted mud-dauber, is a species of sphecid wasp. There are some 30 other species of Sceliphron that occur throughout the world, though in appearance and habits they are quite similar to S. caementarium.
Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary, and most capture and paralyze prey, though members of the subfamily Ceropalinae are kleptoparasites of other pompilids, or ectoparasitoids of living spiders.
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.
Sceliphron, also known as black mud daubers or black mud-dauber wasps, is a genus of Hymenoptera of the Sphecidae family of wasps. They are solitary mud daubers and build nests made of mud. Nests are frequently constructed in shaded niches, often just inside of windows or vent openings, and it may take a female only a day to construct a cell requiring dozens of trips carrying mud. Females will add new cells one by one to the nest after each cell is provisioned. They provision these nests with spiders, such as crab spiders, orb-weaver spiders and jumping spiders in particular, as food for the developing larvae. Each mud cell contains one egg and is provided with several prey items. Females of some species lay a modest average of 15 eggs over their whole lifespan. Various parasites attack these nests, including several species of cuckoo wasps, primarily by sneaking into the nest while the resident mud dauber is out foraging.
The organ pipe mud dauber is a predatory wasp in the family Crabronidae.It is fairly large, ranging from 3.9–5.1 cm, and has been recorded to fly from May to September. Females and males are similar in colour, a shiny black, with the end part of the back leg being pale yellow to white. The organ pipe mud dauber feeds mainly on three genera of spider: Neoscona, Araneus, and Eustala. Melittobia, a parasitoid wasp, is a common ectoparasite of T. politum prepupae. Other sources of parasitism include the bombyliid fly Anthrax, chrysidid wasps, and various species of scavenger flies (Miltogramminae). The tufted titmouse is a known predator of T. politum, and may feed on them more commonly than previously thought, as the holes made by the titmouse are similar in shape and size to those made by T. politum leaving the nest after pupation.
Osmia lignaria, commonly known as the orchard mason bee or blue orchard bee, is a megachilid bee that makes nests in natural holes and reeds, creating individual cells for its brood that are separated by mud dividers. Unlike carpenter bees, it cannot drill holes in wood. O. lignaria is a common species used for early spring fruit bloom in the United States and Canada, though a number of other Osmia species are cultured for use in pollination.
Pison is a cosmopolitan genus of wasps within the family Crabronidae. The genus comprises 145 described species, although many species, especially in South America remain undescribed.
The European beewolf, also known as the bee-killer wasp or the bee-eating philanthus, is a solitary wasp that lives in the Western Palearctic and Afrotropics. Although the adults of the species are herbivores, the species derives its name from the behaviour of the inseminated females, who hunt Western honey bees. The female places several of its paralysed prey together with an egg in a small underground chamber, to serve as food for the wasp larvae. All members of the genus Philanthus hunt various species of bees, but P. triangulum is apparently the only one that specialises in Western honey bees.
Osmia bicornis is a species of mason bee, and is known as the red mason bee due to its covering of dense gingery hair. It is a solitary bee that nests in holes or stems and is polylectic, meaning it forages pollen from various different flowering plants. These bees can be seen aggregating together and nests in preexisting hollows, choosing not to excavate their own. These bees are not aggressive; they will only sting if handled very roughly and are safe to be closely observed by children. Females only mate once, usually with closely related males. Further, females can determine the sex ratio of their offspring based on their body size, where larger females will invest more in diploid females eggs than small bees. These bees also have trichromatic colour vision and are important pollinators in agriculture.
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.
Melittobia is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae.
Ammophila sabulosa, the red-banded sand wasp, is a species of the subfamily Ammophilinae of the solitary hunting wasp family Sphecidae, also called digger wasps. Found across Eurasia, the parasitoid wasp is notable for the mass provisioning behaviour of the females, hunting caterpillars mainly on sunny days, paralysing them with a sting, and burying them in a burrow with a single egg. The species is also remarkable for the extent to which females parasitise their own species, either stealing prey from nests of other females to provision their own nests, or in brood parasitism, removing the other female's egg and laying one of her own instead.
Priocnemis monachus is a species of spider wasp endemic to New Zealand, where it is known as the black hunting wasp or ngaro wīwī. It hunts large tunnelweb or trapdoor spiders, paralysing them with its sting and storing them in burrows for its larvae to eat alive. It is the largest member of the family Pompilidae in New Zealand.
Socca pustulosa is a Orb-weaver spider species in the family Araneidae, and it was first described by a French scientist Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1841 from Tasmania, Australia, but later on when Walckenaer examined the specimen collected from New Zealand and renamed it as a different species- Epeira verrucosa. Until 1917, Dalmas reviewed the Australian pustulosa and New Zealand verrucosa and realized they were the same species. Although S. pustulosa has been accepted for some time in the genus of Eriophora, the evidence supporting its placement within this genus were not fully convincing. Therefore, an alternative view was proposed in 2022- a new genus established to accommodate pustulosa along with 11 other spider species from Australia; the diagnostic test based on haplotype analysis and systematic morphology study by arachnologists and found the anatomical features of male pedipalp terminal apophysis differs from other orb-web species.
Anoplius viaticus, commonly known as the black-banded spider wasp, is a species of spider wasp. These wasps are known as spider wasps because the females capture spiders to provide their offspring with food. The paralysed spider is cached in a burrow, the wasp lays an egg on it, and when this hatches, the developing wasp larva consumes the spider. This species is found in sandy heathland across most of Europe.
Sceliphron laetum is a wasp in the family Sphecidae, the mud-dauber wasps. Like other members of this genus, it is a solitary species and builds cells out of mud in which to rear its young, provisioning them with paralysed spiders, and laying an egg in each. This wasp is native to Australia and southeastern Asia.
Melittobia australica is a species of chalcid wasp from the family Eulophidae which is a gregarious ecto-parasitoid of acuealate Hymenoptera.
Sceliphron asiaticum is a species of thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is native to the Neotropics, South America and the Caribbean region.
Pison morosum is a solitary wasp of the family Crabronidae. It is the only endemic species of Pison wasp to New Zealand. It was first described by entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858.
Tachysphex nigerrimus, also known as the black cockroach hunter, is a species of wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is endemic to New Zealand, the only species of Tachysphex that occurs there.
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