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Sphaeropthalma

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Sphaeropthalma
Sphaeropthalma pensylvanica (male)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Suborder:
Aculeata
Superfamily:
Pompiloidea
Family:
Mutillidae
Subfamily:
Sphaeropthalminae
Tribe:
Sphaeropthalmini
Genus:
Sphaeropthalma

Blake, 1871
Synonyms
  • Agama Blake, 1871
  • Photopsis Blake, 1886
  • Sphaerophthalma Blake, 1886
  • Micromutilla Ashmead, 1899
  • Pyrrhomutilla Ashmead, 1899
  • Neophotopsis Ashmead, 1903
  • Physetapsis Schuster, 1958
  • Photopsioides Schuster, 1958

Sphaeropthalma is a genus of velvet ants (a type of wasp) described by C.A. Blake in 1871[1][2] within the family Mutillidae.[3]

Description

Sphaeropthalma are among the smaller velvet ants. Many species have red hair (common to many species in the family), while a few are more pink or white, or black. The genus is largely made up of species that are active only at night. Some, however, are active during the day. The ones which have pink hair are nocturnal.[4]

Habitat

Most dry areas, or open areas.

Behavior

Scurries along the ground, in search of solitary wasp nests, which it will parasitize.

Host species

These wasps prefer to lay their eggs in nests of bembicine wasps, e.g. sand wasps and horse guard wasps.

Species

References

  1. ^ Poole, Robert W.; Gentili, Patricia (1996). Nomina Insecta Nearctica. Vol. 2. Entomological Information Services. pp. 278–280. ISBN 1-889002-02-X.
  2. ^ Blake, Chas. A. (1871). "Synopsis of the Mutillidæ of North America". Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 3: 217–265. doi:10.2307/25076249.
  3. ^ Pitts, James P.; Sadler, Emily A. (2015). "Description of a new species and species-group of Sphaeropthalma Blake (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) with an updated classification of the genus". Zootaxa. 3947 (2): 282–288. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3947.2.10. PMID 25947736.
  4. ^ Eaton, Eric R. and Kaufman, Ken. Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, 2007. Houghton Mifflin Co. ppg. 350-351
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