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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Thread-waisted Wasps (Sphecidae) » Ammophilinae » Eremnophila

Genus Eremnophila

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Remarks · Works Cited
Sphecidae - Eremnophila aureonotata - Eremnophila aureonotata - male - female Thread-waist - Eremnophila aureonotata Eremnophila aureonotata? - Eremnophila aureonotata thread-waisted wasp - Eremnophila aureonotata - male - female Thread Waist Wasp? - Eremnophila aureonotata Thin-waisted Wasp - Eremnophila aureonotata Wasp sp. - Eremnophila aureonotata wasp one - Eremnophila aureonotata
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 Sphecidae (Thread-waisted Wasps)
Subfamily Ammophilinae
Genus Eremnophila
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Formerly treated as part of Ammophila
Explanation of Names
Eremnophila Menke 1964
Numbers
A single species in our area,(1) 9 spp. total(2)
Identification
Morphologically distinguished from other Ammophilinae by the rear-pointing episternal sulcus. Most easily identified in photos by the extensive silvery-to-golden patches of setae on the sides of the thorax (pronotal lobes and mesopleura) and next to the propodeal spiracle and petiole socket and by the blueish reflections of the body. Ammophila and Podalonia generally do not have this particular pattern of patches (they may, however, have different patterns of patches).

In rare cases the patches may be absent. In such cases, the genera must be distinguished by the episternal sulcus that forms a sharp, rear-pointing angle in Eremnophila versus being straight or slightly bowed in other genera of the subfamily, as illustrated here (Figs. G-H: 'es')(3)


Wing venation
Range
NA east of 100°W, south to Costa Rica(3)(2)
Remarks
Males grasp neck of females with mandibles during mating:
]
Eremnophila and other sphecids are often followed by satellite flies, which attempt to lay their eggs of the wasp's prey:

In e US and Canada, Eremnophila may be more common than Ammophila (cf. this comment)
Works Cited
1.Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico
Karl V. Krombein, Paul D. Hurd, Jr., David R. Smith, and B. D. Burks. 1979. Smithsonian Institution Press.
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 Cotinis on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, PaleoJon
Last updated 17 September, 2024 - 1:19am

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