Dr. Charles C. Porter compiled this list of 67 species found in NATL from his long-term studies of sphecids
in NATL prior to the restoration of NATL's upland pine.
This large group of wasps includes the digger wasps, sand wasps,
and mud daubers, and most have no vernacular names. In addition
to the scientific name of each species, the preferred prey and
types of nests used are described. Dr. Porter is currently a Research
Associate with the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. He
received his PhD from Harvard in 1967 and was Professor of Biology
at Fordham University, 1972-1993. His research interests are the
taxonomy and ecology of Hymenoptera (esp. Ichneumonidae) in the
New World.
Scientific name | Prey and Habitats |
---|---|
Subfamily Ampulicinae | |
Dolichurus greenei | Provisions its nests, in stems and other crevices, with cockroaches |
Subfamily Sphecinae | |
Podium luctuosum | Provisions nests in crevices with cockroaches |
Podium rufipes | Hunts cockroaches: Parcoblatta, Cariblatta, Eurycotis, etc. |
Chalybion californicum | Provisions with spiders; nests in pre-existing cavities or structures (including abandoned mud dauber nests) |
Sceliphron caementarium | Mud dauber. Makes mud nests & provisions with spiders. |
Sphex dorsalis | Makes burrows in ground (nesting strategy of entire genus). Hunts orthopterans, e.g., Conocephalus. |
Sphex flavovestitus | Fossorial; prey long-horned Orthoptera |
Sphex habenus | Fossorial; prey long-horned Orthoptera |
Sphex ichneumoneus | Fossorial; prey long-horned Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae and Tettigoniidae (e.g. Conocephalinae, Decticinae, Phaneropterinae) |
Sphex pensylvanicus | Fossorial; Tettigoniidae in genera Microcentrum & Scudderia |
Isodontia apicalis | Genus is not fossorial; nests in hollow plant stems, rolled leaves, abandoned bee burrows in logs, in ground, or in crevices among stones; uses gryllid and tettigoniid Orthoptera. No prey records for this species. |
Isodontia auripes | Prey records: Oecanthinae, Conocephalinae, Decticinae, Eneopterinae, & Phaneropterinae |
Isodontia exornata | No prey records |
Palmodes dimidiatus | Genus fossorial. This species uses decticine tettigoniids: Atlanticus, Pediodectes. |
Prionyx parkeri | Genus fossorial and uses only acridid Orthoptera as prey. This species recorded from Melanoplus, Spharagemon & Xyleus. |
Eremnophila aureonotata | Fossorial, prey of this and other species are larger Lepidoptera larvae, e.g., Noctuidae, Sphingidae. |
Ammophila nigricans | This and other species fossorial and provision with Lepidoptera or sawfly larvae |
Ammophila pictipennis | See above. |
Ammophila procera | See above. |
Ammophila urnaria | See above. |
Subfamily Pemphredoninae | |
Mimumesa longicornis | This and other species dig nests in clay banks and decaying wood and use Homoptera (cicadellids, delphacids) as prey. |
Psen sp. | Genus makes burrow in stumps and dead trees or sometimes in earth or clay banks. Provisioning is with Homoptera (e.g., Cicadellidae, Membracidae, Fulgoridae). |
Pluto rufibasis | Genus makes burrow in sandy or clay banks; provisions with leafhoppers (e.g., Opsius). |
Pemphredon sp. | Genus utilizes cavities in wood, reeds, canes, grass culms, or makes its own burrows in dead wood; all species provision with aphids. |
Stigmus sp. | Genus nests in timber, galls, etc., and may use preexisting cavities or make its own nests; provisioning is with aphids. |
Subfamily Larrinae | |
Larra bicolor | This South American species has been introduced to Florida for biocontrol of mole crickets--Gryllotalpidae--and seems well established at Gainesville. |
Liris argentata | Genus prefers preexisting burrows in soil for nesting, but a few species excavate their own tunnels. Gryllid crickets are the usual prey. These are among the few sphecids that remain active all winter at Gainesville. |
Liris beata | See above. |
Liris panamensis muesebecki | See above. |
Tachytes chrysopyga obscurus | Most species in this genus hunt orthopterans, e.g., Acrididae, Tettigoniidae, Tetrigidae & Tridactylidae. Nests are excavated in soil. |
Tachytes distinctus distinctus | See above. |
Tachytes grisselli | See above. |
Tachytes guatemalensis | See above. |
Tachytes auricomus | See above. |
Tachysphex mundus exsectus | Genus burrow in soil, provisions with orthopteroids: Acrididae especially, Tettigonidae, Gryllidae, Blattidae, & Mantidae. |
Tachysphex mundus mundus | See above. |
Tachysphex utina | See above. |
Tachysphex antennatus | See above. |
Tachysphex crassiformis | See above. |
Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) politum | Members of this subgenus make their own mud nests, which resemble a series of organ pipes. Provisions with spiders. |
Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) collinum | See above. |
Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) lactitarse | See above. |
Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) johannis | See above. |
Bothynostethus distinctus | Genus remodels preexisting tunnels in sandy soil and provisions with adult chrysomelid beeltes (Galerucinae). |
Subfamily Crabroninae | |
Oxybelus laetus laetus | Genus burrows in sand/sandy soil and provisions with a large array of small to medium sized adult Diptera (esp. Therevidae, Chironomidae, Sarcophagidae & Muscidae) |
Anacrabro ocellatus ocellatus | Nests in soil, often near water; provisions with Lygus (Hemiptera: Miridae). |
Rhopalum (Rhopalum) atlanticum | Most species nest in twigs or reeds and provision mainly with small Diptera. |
Crossocerus (Blepharipus) impressifrons | This subgenus makes nests in logs, branches, stumps, posts, etc., and provisions mostly with small Diptera. |
Crossocerus (Blepharipus?) krombeini | See above. |
Ectemnius (Hypocrabro) rufipes rufipes | Genus nests in decayed wood (logs, stumps), or sometimes in sound wood; provisions with Diptera. |
Ectemnius (Hypocrabro) scaber scaber | See above. |
Subfamily Nyssoninae | |
Alysson melleus | Genus nests in moist, cool sites, often in sandy soil and provisions with Homoptera of the families Fulgoridae and (rarely ) Cercopidae. |
Synnervus aequalis | Biology unknown. |
Epinysson sp. | Species of this genus are parasites of the Genus Hoplisoides (Sphecidae: Nyssoninae). |
Ochleroptera bipunctata | Genus nests in sandy soil, often on banks and provisions with Hemiptera (Membracidae, Cicadellidae, Cercopidae, Fulgoridae, & Psyllidae). |
Agrogorytes sp. | Genus nests in clay or gravel slopes and provisions with cercopid Homoptera (European species, no bio-data for U.S. species). |
Gorytes dorothyae russeolus | Genus constructs nests in soil and provisions with Homoptera (Cicadellidae, Fulgoridae, & Membracidae). |
Sphecius speciosus | Nests in soil and provisions with Cicadidae (Homoptera). |
Hoplisoides placidus placidus | Genus nests in soil and provisions with Homoptera (Membracidae, Fulgoridae). |
Bicyrtes quadrifasciata | Genus nests in sandy soil and provisions with Hemiptera (esp. Pentatomidae, Coreidae, and Reduviidae). |
Stictia carolina | Genus nests (often in huge gregarious swarms) in sandy soil and provision with large Diptera, especially Tabanidae. |
Stictiella sp. | Genus nests in dry sandy soil (but often near water) and provisions with small adult Lepidoptera (Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Noctuidae, Pyralidae, et. al.) |
Philanthus gibbosus | Genus nests in bare, sandy soil & provisions with other Aculeate Hymenoptera adults (esp. Halictidae but also Andrenidae, Anthophoridae, Apidae, Colletidae & Megachilidae, etc.) |
Philanthus politus | See above. |
Cerceris rufopicta | Genus nest in bare, compact soil or sandbanks and provisions with adult Coleoptera in families such as Curculionidae, Buprestidae, Chrysomelidae, Tenebrionidae, & Bruchidae. |
Cerceris blakei | See above. |
Cerceris tolteca | See above. Abundant in summer on Cassia. |