Explanation of Names
Pompilidae Fabricius 1798 (or
Leach 1819)
Greek
pompilos (πομπιλος) 'a fish that follows ships', from
pompe (πομπη) 'conduct, escort, procession'
(1)Numbers
~300 spp. in ca. 40 genera in our area
(2), ca. 5,000 worldwide; 115 spp. in FL
(3)Identification
Family characteristics
(4)(5):
Typically dark colored with smoky or yellowish wings; a few are brightly colored.
Slender with long and spiny legs, hind
femora typically extending beyond tip of
abdomen.
Tibiae of rear legs have two prominent spines at
apex (distal end, next to
tarsi)
Wings not folded flat on top of abdomen.
Mesopleuron with a transverse suture
Like the Vespidae, the Pompilidae have the
pronotum extending back to the
tegulae, the pronotum thus appearing triangular when viewed from the side and horseshoe-shaped when viewed from above.
Images illustrating these characters:
Habitat
Adults are usually found on flowers or on the ground searching for prey.
Food
Larvae feed on spiders. In some groups the females sting and paralyze their prey and then transport it to a specially constructed nest before laying an egg; in others, leave the paralyzed spider in its nest and lay an egg upon it.
