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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants and allies (Pompiloidea) » Spider Wasps (Pompilidae) » Pepsinae » Pepsini » Entypus

Genus Entypus

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Works Cited

Possible P. mildei - Entypus unifasciatus

Spider Wasp - Entypus unifasciatus - female

Spider wasp with spider - Entypus unifasciatus - female

Entypus unifasciatus - Entypus unifasciatus - 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)

Superfamily Pompiloidea (Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants and allies)

Family Pompilidae (Spider Wasps)

Subfamily Pepsinae

Tribe Pepsini

Genus Entypus

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Priocnemioides is used in Townes(1)(1957).

Explanation of Names

Entypus Dahlbom, 1843

Numbers

7 Species:

Entypus aratus

Entypus angusticeps

Entypus austrinus

Entypus fulvicornis

Entypus magnus

Entypus texanus

Entypus unifasciatus

Size

Very large wasps, not quite rivaling Pepsis or Hemipepsis, but most exceed 20 mm and some may attain lengths of almost 30 mm.

Identification

Large size is one of the best clues.

More technically they belong to the subfamily Pepsinae, tribe Pepsini which is defined by the following characters: groove in 2nd sternite, crease on side of 1st tergite marking off an epipleuron, serrate hind tibiae, at least a partially exposed labrum, concave sides of 1st tergite (look dorsally), spines on end of hind tibia of equal size and spacing.

Subtle wing venation and other characters used to separate genera and species, see Townes(1)(1957) for this information (and keys plus brief species descriptions/discussions).

Range

The genus is found practically transcontinentally but some species have restricted ranges.

Habitat

Open areas, woodland edges; never found in deep woods.

Season

found later in the season (late summer-early autumn)

Food

Adults frequently visit flowers, especially umbellifers and Solidago spp. Adults provision a pre-existing cavity or modification of a pre-existing cavity with a Lycosid spider.

Life Cycle

one generation per year in most of the US

Works Cited

1.	Nearctic Wasps of the Subfamilies Pepsinae and Ceropalinae Henry K. Townes. 1957. Smithsonian Institute Press (Bulletin 209).

Contributed by Cotinis on 7 September, 2004 - 5:13am
Additional contributions by NFensler, Aaron Schusteff, v belov
Last updated 1 July, 2018 - 10:34pm

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