Sand wasp

Sand wasp

Taxobox
name= Sand Wasp


image_caption = "Bembix" sp.
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Hymenoptera
subordo = Apocrita
superfamilia = Apoidea
familia = Crabronidae
subfamilia = Bembicinae
tribus = Bembicini
subdivision_ranks = Genus
subdivision =
*"Bembix"
*"Bicyrtes"
*"Carlobembix"
*"Chilostictia"
*"Editha"
*"Glenostictia"
*"Hemidula"
*"Microbembex"
*"Microstictia"
*"Rubrica"
*"Selman"
*"Steniolia"
*"Stictia"
*"Stictiella"
*"Trichostictia"
*"Xerostictia"
*"Zyzzyx"

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 prey on their own parasites, a surprisingly rare phenomenon in the animal kingdom.

ee also

* Bembix rostrata

References

* Howard E. Evans, "A Review of Prey Choice in Bembicine Sand Wasps (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)" "Neotropical Entomology" 31(1): 001-011 (2002) (PDF at [http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ne/v31n1/11172.pdf] )


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sand wasp — Sand Sand, n. [AS. sand; akin to D. zand, G. sand, OHG. sant, Icel. sandr, Dan. & Sw. sand, Gr. ?.] 1. Fine particles of stone, esp. of siliceous stone, but not reduced to dust; comminuted stone in the form of loose grains, which are not coherent …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sand wasp — noun : any of various wasps that dig burrows in sand; especially : a wasp of the genus Bembix * * * any of certain sphecid wasps of the subfamily Bembicinae that nest in the ground and are common along the seashore. [1895 1900] * * * sand wasp… …   Useful english dictionary

  • sand wasp — any of certain sphecid wasps of the subfamily Bembicinae that nest in the ground and are common along the seashore. [1895 1900] * * * ▪ insect       any of a group of wasps in the subfamily Bembicinae (family Crabronidae, order Hymenoptera) that… …   Universalium

  • sand wasp — noun A predatory crabronid wasp that builds burrowlike nests in the ground …   Wiktionary

  • Wasp — Wasp, n. [OE. waspe, AS. w[ae]ps, w[ae]fs; akin to D. wesp, G. wespe, OHG. wafsa, wefsa, Lith. vapsa gadfly, Russ. osa wasp, L. vespa, and perhaps to E. weave.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of stinging hymenopterous insects, esp. any of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wasp fly — Wasp Wasp, n. [OE. waspe, AS. w[ae]ps, w[ae]fs; akin to D. wesp, G. wespe, OHG. wafsa, wefsa, Lith. vapsa gadfly, Russ. osa wasp, L. vespa, and perhaps to E. weave.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of stinging hymenopterous insects, esp.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sand — Sand, n. [AS. sand; akin to D. zand, G. sand, OHG. sant, Icel. sandr, Dan. & Sw. sand, Gr. ?.] 1. Fine particles of stone, esp. of siliceous stone, but not reduced to dust; comminuted stone in the form of loose grains, which are not coherent when …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sand badger — Sand Sand, n. [AS. sand; akin to D. zand, G. sand, OHG. sant, Icel. sandr, Dan. & Sw. sand, Gr. ?.] 1. Fine particles of stone, esp. of siliceous stone, but not reduced to dust; comminuted stone in the form of loose grains, which are not coherent …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sand bag — Sand Sand, n. [AS. sand; akin to D. zand, G. sand, OHG. sant, Icel. sandr, Dan. & Sw. sand, Gr. ?.] 1. Fine particles of stone, esp. of siliceous stone, but not reduced to dust; comminuted stone in the form of loose grains, which are not coherent …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sand ball — Sand Sand, n. [AS. sand; akin to D. zand, G. sand, OHG. sant, Icel. sandr, Dan. & Sw. sand, Gr. ?.] 1. Fine particles of stone, esp. of siliceous stone, but not reduced to dust; comminuted stone in the form of loose grains, which are not coherent …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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