Sand wasp
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 Bembix sp.
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Bembecinus |
The Bembicini, or Sand wasps, are a large tribe of crabronid wasps, comprising 20 genera. Bembicines are predators on various groups of insects, and are most diverse and abundant in arid regions of the world, primarily in North and South America. The type of prey captured tends to be rather consistent within each genus, with flies (Diptera) being the most common type of prey taken. Nests are typically short, simple burrows, with a single enlarged chamber at the bottom which is stocked with prey items for the developing wasp larva; the egg may sometimes be laid before the chamber is completely stocked. It is common for numerous females to excavate nests within a small area where the soil is suitable, creating large and sometimes very dense nesting aggregations. Such aggregations tend to attract various species of parasitic flies and wasps, many of which are cleptoparasites; in some cases, the sand wasps will actually prey upon their own parasites, a surprisingly rare phenomenon in the animal kingdom.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Howard E. Evans, "A Review of Prey Choice in Bembicine Sand Wasps (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)" Neotropical Entomology 31(1): 001-011 (2002) (PDF at [1])
[edit] External links
- Bembix species (sand wasp)
- Links to many parasitic wasps and other insects used for biological control
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