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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Apoid Wasps (Apoidea)- traditional Sphecidae » Thread-waisted Wasps (Sphecidae) » Ammophila » Ammophila pictipennis

Species Ammophila pictipennis

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Ammophila w/prey - Ammophila pictipennis - female Ammophila? - Ammophila pictipennis Thread-waisted Wasp - Ammophila pictipennis Ammophila - Ammophila pictipennis brou9Apr8sm - Ammophila pictipennis Ammophila - Ammophila pictipennis cool wasp - Ammophila pictipennis Another Ammophila sp wasp - Ammophila pictipennis - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Apoid Wasps (Apoidea)- traditional Sphecidae)
Family Sphecidae (Thread-waisted Wasps)
Genus Ammophila
Species pictipennis (Ammophila pictipennis)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
A. placidus
Explanation of Names
Species name from Latin pictus, painted, ornamental, and Greek pennis, feather (wing?). Refers to the pattern on the wings. (Based on Internet searches.)
Identification
Orange and black wings are distinctive within this genus.
Range
Eastern United States, south into Mexico.
Habitat
Seen at flowers in fields.
Season
June-October (Michigan), May-October (North Carolina)
Food
Adult takes nectar.
Life Cycle
Parasitoid of caterpillars. Prey include Noctuid larvae, mostly cutworms. Prey are placed in a shallow nest that has one cell.
Print References
Deyrup, has photo on p. 142, though not labeled as to species. (1)
Brimley, p. 444--syn. Sphex placidus (2)
Internet References
Sphecid Wasps of Michigan
Univ. Florida
Florida Nature--not labeled as to species
Works Cited
1.Florida's Fabulous Insects
By Mark Deyrup, Brian Kenney, Thomas C. Emmel
2.Insects of North Carolina
By C.S. Brimley
Contributed by Cotinis on 11 October, 2004 - 8:48pm
Last updated 12 February, 2005 - 6:16am

Online Video of A. pictipennis at:
http://www.rkwalton.com/wasps/wasps.html
… Dick Walton, 8 November, 2007 - 9:04am

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