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)

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

Wasp in Southern Wisconsin - Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus

Apoid Wasps (Apoidea)- traditional Sphecidae Genus Cerceris - Cerceris

small black and yellow wasp - Crossocerus impressifrons

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)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Formerly lumped with Sphecidae(1); paraphyletic group with respect to bees (the latter arise from within Crabronidae)(2)

Explanation of Names

Crabronidae Latreille 1802

Numbers

1225 spp. in 98 genera of 6 subfamilies in our area(3); almost 9,000 spp. in >240 genera of 8 subfamilies worldwide(4)

Overview of our fauna (* –taxa not yet in the guide)

Family Crabronidae

Subfamily Astatinae Astata · Diploplectron · Dryudella

Subfamily Bembicinae

Tribe Alyssontini Alysson · Didineis

Tribe Bembicini

Subtribe Bembicina Bembix · Bicyrtes · Microbembex · Stictia

Subtribe Exeirina Argogorytes · Clitemnestra

Subtribe Gorytina *Arigorytes · Gorytes · Hapalomellinus · Harpactus · Hoplisoides · Lestiphorus · *Oryttus · Psammaletes · Saygorytes · *Trichogorytes · *Xerogorytes

Subtribe Spheciina Sphecius · Tanyoprymnus

Subtribe Stictiellina Glenostictia · *Microstictia · Steniolia · Stictiella · *Xerostictia

Subtribe Stizina Bembecinus · Stizoides (subg. Tachystizus) · Stizus

Tribe Nyssonini Epinysson · Foxia · *Hyponysson · *Metanysson · Nysson · Zanysson

Subfamily Crabroninae

Tribe Bothynostethini

Subtribe Bothynostethina Bothynostethus

Tribe Crabronini

Subtribe Anacrabronina Anacrabro · *Encopognathus (subg. *Rhectognathus · *Tsaisuma) · *Entomognathus (subg. *Toncahua)

Subtribe Crabronina Crabro · Crossocerus (subg. *Ablepharipus · Blepharipus · Crossocerus · Cuphopterus · *Epicrossocerus · Hoplocrabro · *Neoblepharipus · *Yuchiha) · Ectemnius (subg. Clytochrysus · Ectemnius · Hypocrabro · Metacrabro · Protothyreopus) · *Enoplolindenius (subg. *Iskutana) · *Huaeva · Lestica · Lindenius · Moniaecera · Rhopalum (subg. *Corynopsis · Rhopalum) · Tracheliodes

Tribe Larrini

Subtribe Gastrosericina Larropsis (subg. Ancistromma · *Larropsis) · *Prosopigastra · Tachysphex · Tachytes

Subtribe Larrina Larra · Liris (subg. Leptolarra · *Motes)

Tribe Miscophini Lyroda · Miscophus (subg. Miscophus · *Nitelopterus) · Nitela (subg. Nitela) · Plenoculus · Solierella

Tribe Oxybelini Belomicrus · *Enchemicrum · Oxybelus

Tribe Trypoxylini Pison · Pisonopsis · Trypoxylon (subg. Trypargilum · Trypoxylon)

Subfamily Mellininae

Tribe Mellinini Mellinus

Tribe *Xenosphecini *Xenosphex

Subfamily Pemphredoninae

Tribe Pemphredonini

Subtribe Ammoplanina *Ammoplanellus · Ammoplanops · Ammoplanus · Parammoplanus · Pulverro · Timberlakena

Subtribe Pemphredonina Diodontus · Passaloecus · Pemphredon (subg. Cemonus · *Pemphredon) · *Polemistus

Subtribe Spilomenina Spilomena · Xysma

Subtribe Stigmina *Incastigmus · Stigmus

Tribe Psenini *Ammopsen · Mimesa · Mimumesa · Pluto · Psen · Pseneo · Psenulus

Subfamily Philanthinae

Tribe Aphilanthopini Aphilanthops · Clypeadon

Tribe Cercerini Cerceris · Eucerceris

Tribe Philanthini

Subtribe Philanthina Philanthus · Trachypus

Food

Larvae feed on prey captured and brought to the nest by adult wasps. The type of prey varies according to species of wasp, but includes aphids, bees, beetles, bugs, butterflies & moths, cicadas, cockroaches, crickets, flies, grasshoppers, hoppers, mantids, and spiders.

A few species are kleptoparasitic, providing their larvae with prey that was captured by other species of wasps.

Life Cycle

Nest-sharing occurs in some subfamilies, especially Pemphredoninae and Philanthinae. Nesting habits and prey of FL spp.

Print References

Sphecid Wasps of the World: a Generic Revision(5)

Works Cited

1.	Pulawski W.J. (2023) Family group names and classification

2.	Identifying the sister group to the bees: a molecular phylogeny of Aculeata with an emphasis on the superfamily Apoidea Debevec A.H., Cardinal S., Danforth B.N. 2012. Zoologica Scripta 41: 527-535.

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

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

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

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 28 October, 2006 - 1:37pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, PaleoJon, Nathaniel Green
Last updated 24 November, 2023 - 2:41pm

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