The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20250113070303/https://bugguide.net/node/view/85063
Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData
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

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Works Cited
Stictia carolina - female black and white hymenopteran - Tachytes grisselli - female Cerceris insolita - female small smooth and shiny wasp - Ancistrocerus? - Aphilanthops frigidus Wasp with Red Abdomen - Larra bicolor Possible hover fly, would like species specific - Bembix Crabronidae - Ectemnius Hymenoptera - Cerceris - male
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
Prey 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 captured by other wasps.
Life Cycle
Nest-sharing occurs in some groups, especially Pemphredoninae and Philanthinae. Nesting habits and prey of FL spp.
Print References
(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. (2024) 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 20 December, 2024 - 7:55pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact