Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Genus Phanagenia

pompilid - Phanagenia bombycina pompilid - Phanagenia bombycina October Pomp - Phanagenia bombycina - female Wasp - Phanagenia bombycina - female Spider Wasp with spider - Phanagenia bombycina - female Spider Wasp - Phanagenia bombycina - female wasp - Phanagenia bombycina Phanagenia bombycina - 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)
Superfamily Pompiloidea (Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants and allies)
Family Pompilidae (Spider Wasps)
Subfamily Pepsinae
Tribe Ageniellini (Mud-nesting Spider Wasps)
Genus Phanagenia
Explanation of Names
Phanagenia Banks 1933
Numbers
one species in North America
Size
5-15 mm, females>males
Identification
Characters of the Pepsinae: Ageniellini: spines at apex of hind tibia of even spacing and length, transverse groove in second sternite, lacks pocket in basioposterior corner of third discal cell, hind tibia usually smooth in both sexes, labrum at least partially exposed, this is the only agenielline with a crease on side of first tergite, sides of first tergite in dorsal view concave subbasally.
Similar to Auplopus but differs in the following: bristle-like hairs on mentum not divided into two groups; only sparse erect hair on the propodeum (hairs long & abundant in Auplopus), concolorous black (some Auplopus are concolorous but can be separated by structure).
Mentum:
Range
Widespread in the U.S. east of the Rockies and in the southwest.
Habitat
Woods and woodland edges.
Season
May-Sep in the northern parts of its range
Food
Adults uncommonly visit flowers. Females provision nests with Lycosid and Agelenid spiders.
Life Cycle
Females build mud nests as in Auplopus. There is probably more than one generation per year.
See Also
Very similar to Auplopus, can be separated by P. bombycina having no long erect hair on propodeum or by the shape of the hairs on mentum:
Print References
Townes H.K. (1957) Nearctic wasps of the subfamilies Pepsinae and Ceropalinae. U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 209: 1-286. (Relevant Section)
Krombein K.V. (1979) Pompilidae, pp. 1523-1571 in (1)
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.