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Sphecidae

Cricket hunters, Digger wasps, Mud wasps & Thread-waisted wasps of the Afrotropical Region

(Life: Kingdom: Metazoa (animals); Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Hexapoda; Order: Hymenoptera; Superfamily: Apoidea)

Classification

Ammophilinae
Chloriontinae
Sceliphrinae
Sphecinae

Distribution

Worldwide.

Biology

Predators of a variety of arthropods including spiders (Aranaea), cockroaches (Dictyoptera), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), and caterpillars of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) or larvae of other wasps (Hymenoptera). Most species mass provision their nest with prey items on which they lay a single egg, however, some sphecines rear multiple larvae in a single cell. Nests are either constructed from mud or rarely resin, or are created by burrowing in the soil. Pre-existing cavities are also used as nesting sites.

References

Arnold, G. 1920. A revision of the South African species of the genus Sphex Linn. (olim Ammophila Kirby). Proceedings of the Rhodesia Scientific Association 18 (2):25-55, 2 pls.

Arnold, G. 1922. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part I. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 9:101-138.

Arnold, G. 1923a. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part II. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 9:143-190, pl. V.

Arnold, G.  1923b. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part III. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 9:191-253.

Arnold, G.  1923c. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part IV. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 10:1-58.

Arnold, G.  1924. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part V. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 11:1-73, pl. I-II.

Arnold, G.  1925. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part VI. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 11:137-175.

Arnold, G.  1926. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part VII. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 11:338-376.

Arnold, G.  1927. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part VIII. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 12:55-131.

Arnold, G. 1928a. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part IX. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 12:191-232, pl.VIII.

Arnold, G.  1928b. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part X. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 12: 233-279, pls. IX-XI.

Arnold, G.  1928c. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part XI. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 12:338-375.

Arnold, G. 1929a. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part XII. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 13:217-319.

Arnold, G. 1929b. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part XIII. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 13:320-380, pl. VI.

Arnold, G. 1929c. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part XIV. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 13:381-418, pls. VII-VIII.

Arnold, G. 1930. A check-list of the Sphegidae of the Ethiopian Region. University Press, Cambridge, England. 21 pp. Bibliography of Sphecidae 30

Arnold, G. 1931. The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part XV (conclusion). Annals of the Transvaal Museum 14:135-220.

Arnold, G. 1932. New species of Ethiopian Sphegidae. Occasional Papers of the Rhodesian Museum 1:1-31.

Arnold, G. 1933. Entomological expedition to Abyssinia, 1926-7. Hymenoptera, II.: Sphegidae and Psammocharidae. With an introductory note and supplementary list by Hugh Scott, Sc. D. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 10) 11:351-371.

Arnold, G. 1935. Scientific results of the Vernay-Lang Kalahari expedition, March to September, 1930. Sphegidae and Psammocharidae. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 16: 497-505.

Arnold, G. 1945 (1944). The Sphecidae of Madagascar. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 193 pp.

Arnold, G. 1951. Sphecidae and Pompilidae (Hymenoptera) collected by Mr. K.M. Guichard in West Africa and Ethiopia. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 2:95-183.

Arnold, G. 1960. Aculeate Hymenoptera from the Drakensberg Mountains, Natal. Annals of the Natal Museum 15: 79-87.

Bohart, R.M. & Menke, A. S. 1976. Sphecid Wasps of the World: a Generic Revision. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.

Brauns, H. 1899. Zur Kenntnis der südafrikanischen Hymenopteren. Ann. Naturhist. Hofmus, Wien, 13: 382-423.
Brauns, H. 1906. Zur Kenntnis der südafrikanischen Hymenopteren, II. Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 56: 43-59.
Brauns, H. 1911. Die Nysson-Arten Südafrikas. Kaplande (Willomore).

Brothers D.J. 1999. Phylogeny and evolution of wasps, ants and bees (Hymenoptera, Chrysidoidea, Vespoidea and Apoidea) Zoologica Scripta 28: 233–250.

Cameron, P. 1910. On the Aculeate Hymenoptera collected by Mr. A.J.T. Janse, Normal College, Pretoria, in the Transvaal. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 2:115-154.

Dahlbom, A.G. 1845. Hymenoptera Europeae praecipue borealia, I, 3. Tabula Examinationis Synoptica Speciorum Pompilidarum 1845: 410-465.

Dollfuss, H. 1990. Aculeate Hymenoptera collected 1985 in the Republic of Central Africa (Sphecidae, Eumenidae, Vespidae, Pompilidae, Chrysididae and Scoliidae). Zeitschrift der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Österreichischer Entomologen 42(3/4): 121–124.

Dollfuss, H. 2013. Revision of the wasp genus Ammophila KIRBY 1798 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) of the Palearctic Region and India. Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (1): 383-564.

Dollfuss, H. 2015. Revision of the wasp genus Ammophila KIRBY, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) of the Sub-Saharan Region of Africa. Linzer biologische Beiträge 47: 307–412.

Dollfuss, H. 2015. The Ammophilini wasps of the "Biologiezentrum Linz"- collection in Linz, Austria (part 3) including the genera Ammophila KIRBY, Eremnophila MENKE, Eremochares GRIBODO, Hoplammophila de BEAUMONT and Podalonia FERNALD (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Sphecidae). Linzer biologische Beiträge 47: 413–439.

du Buysson R. 1898. Voyage de M. E. Simon dans l'Afrique australe (janvier-avril 1893). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 66: 351-363, pl. 11. (volume dated 1898, but reprints dated 1897).
Finnamore, A.T. & Michener, C.D. 1993
. Superfamily Apoidea (pp. 279-357). In GOULET, H. & HUBER, J. (eds). Hymenoptera of the World: an identification guide to families. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 668 pp.

Gess, S.K. & Gess, F.W. 2014. Wasps and bees in southern Africa. SANBI Biodiversity Series 24. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. 320 pp.

Gribodo, G. 1894. Hymenopterorum novorum diagnoses praecursoriae. I. Miscellanea Entomologica. Nuntius Entomologicus Internationalis 2: 2-3 French, 4-5 German.

Kohl F.F. 1884 (1883). Neue Hymenopteren in den Sammlungen des k. k. zool. Hof-Cabinetes zu Wien. II. Verhandlungen der kaiserlich-königlichen Zoologischbotanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 33: 331-386, pls. XVIIa-XVIII.

Kohl, FF. 1890. Die Hymenopterengruppe der Sphecinen. I. Monographie der natürlichen Gattung Sphex Linné (sens. lat.). Annalen des k.k. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums 5:77-194, pls. VIII-XII, 317-462.

Kohl F.F. 1901. Zur Kenntnis der Sandwespen (Gen. Ammophila Kirby). Annalen des k.k. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums 16: 142-164.
Kohl F.F. 1906. Die Hymenopterengruppe der Sphecinen. III. Monographie der Gattung Ammophila W. Kirby (sens. lat. – Ammophilinae Ashmead). Abteilung A. Die Ammophilinen der paläarktischen Region. Annalen des k.k. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums 21: 228-382, pls. VII-XIII.
[plates assigned to vol. 22 and dated 1907 in bottom line note, apparently in error; plates numbered incorrectly as pl. VII also appears earlier in the volume]

Leclercq, J. 1955. Hymenoptera Sphecoidea (Sphecidae I. Subfam. Sphecinae) in Exploration du Parc National de l'Upemba. I. Mission G.F. de Witte en collaboration avec W. Adam, A. Janssens, L. van Meel et R. Verheyen (1946-1949), Fasc. 34: 1-137.

Menke, A.S. 1966. The genera of the Ammophilini (Hymenoptera; Sphecidae). The Canadian Entomologist 98: 147-152.

Morawitz F. 1889. Insecta, a Cl. G.N. Potanin in China et in Mongolia novissime lecta. IV. Hymenoptera Aculeata. Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae 23: 112-168.

Nurse C.G. 1903. New species of Indian Aculeate Hymenoptera. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 7) 11: 511-526.

Nel, E., Kelly, J. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. 2014. Notes on the biology of the wasp, Chalybion spinolae (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), an obligatory predator of Latrodectus (Araneae: Theridiidae) spiders in South Africa. Journal of Natural History 48: 1585-1593. DOI:10.1080/00222933.2013.877993.

Palisot de Beauvois A.M.F.J. 1805-1821. Insectes recueillis en Afrique et en Amérique, dans les royaumesd’Oware et de Benin, à Saint-Domingue et dans les États-Unis, pendant les années 1786-1797. Imprimerie de Fain et Compagnie, Paris. XVI + 276 pp, 90 pls.

Sharkey, M., 2007. Phylogeny and classification of Hymenoptera.
Zootaxa 1668: 521–548.

Sharkey, M. J., Carpenter, J. M., Vilhelmsen, L., Heraty, J., Liljeblad, J., Dowling, A. P.G., Schulmeister, S., Murray, D., Deans, A. R., Ronquist, F., Krogmann, L. and Wheeler, W. C. 2012. Phylogenetic relationships among superfamilies of Hymenoptera. Cladistics 28: 80–112. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2011.00366.x

Steiner, K.E., Whitehead, V.B., Johnson, S.D. 1994. Floral and pollinator divergence in two sexually deceptive South African orchids. American Journal of Botany 81: 185-194. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1994.tb15428.x

Taschenberg E.L. 1869. Die Sphegidae des zoologischen Museums der Universität in Halle. Zeitschrift für die Gesammten Naturwissenschaften 34: 407-435.

Turner R.E. 1919. Notes on fossorial Hymenoptera. XXXVIII. On new Ethiopian species. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 9) 4: 44-50.

Links

CATALOG OF WORLD SPHECIDAE sensu lato (= Apoidea excluding bees) compiled by
Wojciech J. Pulawski (California Academy of Sciences).

Credits

Photographs © Simon van Noort or Norman Larsen (Iziko Museums). Banner photograph © Steve Marshall (University of Guelph).


Web author Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

 

Citation: van Noort, S. 2024. WaspWeb: Hymenoptera of the World. URL: www.waspweb.org (accessed on <day/month/year>).

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