Subfamily Astatinae

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Works Cited

Astatine Wasp, Dryudella sp, - Dryudella - male - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)

No Taxon (Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps)

Family Crabronidae (Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies)

Subfamily Astatinae

Explanation of Names

Astatinae Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau 1845

Numbers

37 spp. in 3 genera in our area(1), >150 spp. in 4 genera total(2)

Identification

Males of Astata and Dryudella can be distinguished from Diploplectron by their holoptic eyes, while male Dryudella are distinguished from male Astata by malar space longer than mid-ocellar diameter and submarginal cell 1 shorter than 2 along their posterior edges.

Females have dichoptic eyes; Astata females have stout spines at edge of pygidial plate (spineless in Dryudella & Diploplectron) and submarginal cell 2 as long as or longer than 1 (shorter in Dryudella and Diploplectron)(3)

Wing examples: (males)

Astata

Dryudella

Diploplectron

Range

In our area, most spp. are western; a few, transcontinental(1)

Food

larvae provisioned with heteropteran nymphs/adults, incl. Pentatomidae, Cydnidae, Scutelleridae, Lygaeidae, Reduviidae, Alydidae, and Rhopalidae(3)

Works Cited

1.	Ascher J.S., Pickering J. (2017) Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)

2.	Pulawski W.J. (2003-) Catalog of Sphecidae sensu lato (Apoidea excluding Apidae)

3.	Sphecid wasps of the world: a generic revision Richard Mitchell Bohart, Arnold S. Menke. 1976. University of California Press.

Contributed by Richard Leung on 8 March, 2005 - 10:56pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, Robert H. Biagi, zdanko
Last updated 4 September, 2024 - 11:24am

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