Pemphredonidae
| Pemphredonidae | |
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_-_Zwerggrabwespe_(11462528464).jpg)
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Superfamily: | Apoidea |
| Family: | Pemphredonidae |
| Tribes, subtribes and genera | |
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Entomosericini (Dalla Torre, 1897):
Odontosphecini (Menke, 1967): Pemphredonini (Dahlbom, 1835):
Psenini (A. Costa, 1858):
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The subfamilly Pemphredoninae also known as the aphid wasps,[1] is a large group in the wasp family Crabronidae, with over 1000 species. Historically, this subfamily has frequently been accorded family status. The subfamily consists of solitary, parasitoidal wasps, each genus having its own distinct and consistent prey preferences. The adult females dig tunnels in the ground, or plant material, for nesting.[2]
As with all other sphecoid wasps, the larvae are carnivorous; females hunt for prey on which to lay their eggs, mass provisioning the nest cells with paralyzed, living prey that the larvae feed upon after hatching from the egg.
Subdivisions
The Pemphredoninae are currently divided into four tribes: Entomosericini, Odontosphecini, Psenini, and Pemphredonini; the last of which has by far the largest number of species. The primary distinction between the Psenini and the Pemphredonini, is that the Psenini have a forewing with three submarginal cells, and the Pemphredonini never have more than two submarginal cells on their forewing.
Fossils
Two fossilized wasps from the Weald Clay, Archisphex and Angarosphex are considered to possibly be in the Pemphredoninae.[3]
Notes
- ^ "Subfamily Pemphredoninae - Aphid Wasps", accessed 14 January 2009
- ^ Sharp, David (1901) "Insects Part II: Chapter III: Hymenoptera Aculeata continued: Family Sphegidae-Crabronides: Sub-Fam. 9. Mimesides." in Harmer, S. F. and Shipley, A. E. (eds.) (1901) The Cambridge Natural History Macmillan and Co., London, p. 128 OCLC 559687
- ^ Jarzembowski, E. A. (1991) "The Weald Clay of the Weald: Report of 1988/89 Field Meetings: New insects from the Weald Clay of the Weald" Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 102: pp. 83-108; as cited in Grimaldi, David (1999) "The co-radiations of pollinating insects and angiosperms in the Cretaceous" Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 86(2): pp. 373-406, p. 377
References
- Bohart, R. M. and Menke, A. S. (1976) Sphecid Wasps of the World: a Generic Revision University of California Press, Berkeley, California, ISBN 0-520-02318-8 Google books
- Simon-Thomas, R. T. and Bohart, R. M. (1998) A recapitulation of errata and omissions to Sphecid wasps of the world, a generic revision, by R.M. Bohart & A.S. Menke Instituut voor Systematiek en Populatiebiologie, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, OCLC 39684725