Ammophila (Sphecidae)
Encyclopedia
Ammophila is the type genus
of the subfamily Ammophilinae of the hunting wasp
family Sphecidae
. They sometimes are referred to as "Thread-waisted wasps", but the name is not definitive, because many other members of the Sphecidae are thread-waisted too, and referred to as such. Sometimes Ammophiline wasps are referred to as "sand wasps"; this may be better because it is consistent with the name Ammophila, which derives from the Greek for "sand lover", presumably because many species dig their nests in sand. However, as is frequent in dealing with common names, there is no definitive common name for the Ammophilinae; entomologists
usually confine themselves to the technical names for convenience and clarity.
Ammophila is a large and cosmopolitan genus, with over 200 species, mostly occurring in the warmer regions of all continents apart from Antarctica. As is frequent in large genera, there is considerable variation in their habits and appearance, but predominantly they are medium-sized wasps of strikingly slender build, with antennae about as long as the head plus thorax. The jaws are not large, but are strong and apart from feeding and digging, often are used for unexpected functions such as holding a pebble with which the wasp hammers down soil to seal a nest, or to grip the stem of a plant at night as a means of perching instead of gripping with its legs. This habit is not unique to Ammophilinae — some bees, such as Amegilla also overnight in that way, and Fabre
documented some others.
Nesting is generally by digging an unbranched tunnel in sandy soil, but provisioning can be progressive
, the mother bringing prey as the larva requires it, or mass provisioning
, each nest being provided with a single large prey item, or as many small prey items as should be required.
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
of the subfamily Ammophilinae of the hunting wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
family Sphecidae
Sphecidae
Sphecidae is a cosmopolitan family of wasps that include digger wasps, mud daubers and other familiar types that all fall under the category of thread-waisted wasps.The are predominently solitary wasp,distributed world wide.At present this family consist of eight subfamilies and three tribes...
. They sometimes are referred to as "Thread-waisted wasps", but the name is not definitive, because many other members of the Sphecidae are thread-waisted too, and referred to as such. Sometimes Ammophiline wasps are referred to as "sand wasps"; this may be better because it is consistent with the name Ammophila, which derives from the Greek for "sand lover", presumably because many species dig their nests in sand. However, as is frequent in dealing with common names, there is no definitive common name for the Ammophilinae; entomologists
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
usually confine themselves to the technical names for convenience and clarity.
Ammophila is a large and cosmopolitan genus, with over 200 species, mostly occurring in the warmer regions of all continents apart from Antarctica. As is frequent in large genera, there is considerable variation in their habits and appearance, but predominantly they are medium-sized wasps of strikingly slender build, with antennae about as long as the head plus thorax. The jaws are not large, but are strong and apart from feeding and digging, often are used for unexpected functions such as holding a pebble with which the wasp hammers down soil to seal a nest, or to grip the stem of a plant at night as a means of perching instead of gripping with its legs. This habit is not unique to Ammophilinae — some bees, such as Amegilla also overnight in that way, and Fabre
Jean Henri Fabre
Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre was a French entomologist and author.-Life:Fabre was born in Saint-Léons in Aveyron, France....
documented some others.
Nesting is generally by digging an unbranched tunnel in sandy soil, but provisioning can be progressive
Progressive provisioning
Progressive provisioning is a term used in entomology to refer to a form of parental behavior in which an adult feeds its larvae directly after they have hatched, feeding each larva repeatedly until it has completed development...
, the mother bringing prey as the larva requires it, or mass provisioning
Mass provisioning
Mass provisioning is a term used in entomology to refer to a form of parental behavior in which an adult stocks all of the food for each offspring in a small chamber prior to laying the egg...
, each nest being provided with a single large prey item, or as many small prey items as should be required.