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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 » Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies (Crabronidae) » Crabroninae » Larrini » Larrina » Mole Cricket Hunter Wasps (Larra) » Larra bicolor

Species Larra bicolor

Representative Images

Larra bicolor - female Larra bicolor on car window, front quarter view - Larra bicolor - male A mole cricket hunter, Larra bicolor, I believe - Larra bicolor - male A mole cricket hunter, Larra bicolor, I believe - Larra bicolor - male Larra bicolor Mole Cricket Hunter - Larra bicolor - female wasp on clustered bushmint - Larra bicolor bug - Larra bicolor - male

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 Crabroninae
Tribe Larrini
Subtribe Larrina
Genus Larra (Mole Cricket Hunter Wasps)
Species bicolor (Larra bicolor)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Larra bicolor (Fabricius, 1804)

Size

♀ ~22mm (1)
♂ ~15mm (BG images)

Range

(introduced) native to South America
Texas to Georgia (BG images)

Food

Larva feed on Mole Crickets:

Life Cycle

Females with prey:

Remarks

Introduced intentionally in Florida from Bolivia in 1988 and again in 1989 for control of Neoscapteriscus mole crickets, which are also introduced from South America.

See Also

The very similar males of Sphex habenus also have red abdomens, but the eyes are all-black (not with strong green reflections) and the abdomen is thread-waisted:

Internet References

Wikipedia
Integrated Pest Management

Works Cited

1.Wikipedia
Contributed by john and jane balaban on 26 May, 2006 - 1:41pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, ceiseman, metrioptera, Robert H. Biagi, PaleoJon
Last updated 25 October, 2021 - 3:52pm

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