Superfamily SPHECOIDEA 1589 



Biology: Peckham and Peckham, 1898. Wis. Geol. Nat. Hist. Survey, Bui. 2: 25-28 (prey 

 transport, nest; misdet. as gracilis Lep.). — Peckham and Peckham, 1905. Wasps, social and 

 solitary, pp. 43-46 (prey transport; misdet. as gracilis Lep.). — Rau, 1922. Acad. Sci. St. 

 Louis, Trans. 24: 24 (mating, prey). — Krombein, 1958. Ent. See. Wash., Proc. 60: 104 (nest, 

 prey transport). —Evans, 1959. Amer. Midland Nat. 62: 464-465 (nest, prey transport). 



Genus AMMOPHILA Kirby 



Ammophila Kirby, 1798. Linn. Soc. London, Trans. 4: 199. 



Type-species: Sphex sabulosa Linnaeus. Desig. by Intematl. Comn. Zool. Nomencl. 

 Op. 180, 1946. Op. and Decl. by Intematl. Comn. Zool. Nomencl. 2: 569-585. 

 Ammophylics Latreille, 1802-1803. Hist. Nat. Crust. Ins. 3: 332. Emend, or lapsus. 

 Misciis Jurine, 1807. Nouv. Meth. Class. Hym. Dipt., p. 130. No species included. 



Type-species: Ammophila cam,pestris Latreille. Desig. by Shuckard, 1837. 

 Ammnpkilus Latreille, 1829. In Cuvier, Regn. Anim., v. 4, p. 322. Emend, or lapsus. 

 Coloptera Lepeletier, 1845. Hist. Nat. Ins., Hym., v. 3, p. 387. 



Type-species: Coloptera barbara Lepeletier. Monotypic. 

 Argyram-mophila Gussakovskij, 1928. Leningrad, Inst. Zool. Appl. Phytopath., Bui. 4: 7. 



Type-species: Ammophila induta Kohl. Orig. desig. 

 Apycnem.ia Leclercq, 1961. Eos 37: 211. 



Type-species: Ammxyphila fallax Kohl. Orig. desig. 



The behavior of these slender, elongate wasps has been studied by a host of observers. All 

 species are fossorial, usually solitary in nesting habits, although a few extralimital species are 

 gregarious nesters. Typically, the nest consists of a short, oblique to perpendicular burrow ter- 

 minating in a single cell, although 2-celled nests have been reported in two species. Usually, the 

 nest is dug before prey is obtained, but two species have been reported as capturing prey before 

 constructing the nest. 



The prey used by Am,mophila consists usually of hairless larvae although sparsely to densely 

 haired larvae may be used occasionally. Lepidopterous larvae are frequently provided, but occa- 

 sionally hymenopterous (sawfly) larvae are used. There is one record of weevil larvae being 

 preyed upon by azteca Cam. which also uses lepidopterous and sawfly larvae. It is probable that 

 caterpillars are the preferred prey, and that sawrfly or weevil larvae are used only when there is 

 not a ready supply of caterpillars. Wasps using larger larvae for prey, store only one per nest; 

 those using smaller larvae may provide as many as 11 per cell. Most species are mass provi- 

 sioners, but several practice progressive provisioning. Three species, including our native azteca, 

 are known to maintain several nests simultaneously which are provisioned progressively. 



The Peckhams observed one specimen of umaria Dahlb. using a pebble to tamp the earth in 

 the nest closure. They contended that this constituted improvisation of a tool and intelligent use 

 of it. Subsequent observations on other species demonstrate conclusively that the supposed 

 tool-using behavior is not an intelligent act but the culmination of a succession of instinctive 

 behavioral traits. 



Revision: Melander, 1903. Psyche 10: 156-164. — Femald, 1934. No. Amer. and W. Indies 

 Sphex, 167 pp. These are not reliable for identification of many North American species. 



Biology: Evans, 1959. Amer. Midland Nat. 62: 449-473 (nesting behavior). —Powell, 1964. 

 Kans. Ent. Soc., Jour. 37: 240-258 (nesting behavior). — Menke, 1965. Ent. News 76: 

 257-261 (identity of spp. studied by Hicks and Evans). 



Morphology: Snodgrass, 1941. Smithsn. Inst., Misc. Collect. 99, no. 14: 50, pi. 23, figs. K, M-R 



(male genitalia). 

 aberti Haldeman. West. Provinces and States east to Iowa; Mexico. Ecology: Nests in firm 



sand or hard soil, the vertical or oblique burrow terminating in a cell in which up to 10 

 small caterpillars are stored. Parasite: Pseudoxenos lugubris (Pierce); Hilarella 

 hilarella (Zett.), Metopia argyrocephala (Meig.), Opsidia sp.; ? Exoprosopa capucina 

 (¥.); Ceratochrysis trachypleura Boh. Prey: Evxhiaena sp., Sterrhinae sp., Geometridae 

 spp.; Hesperiidae sp. 



Ammophila aberti Haldeman, 1852. Stansburys Explor. Survey Salt Lake, App. C, Ins., p. 

 368. 9. 



Ammophila umaria Lepeletier, 1845. Hist. Nat. Ins. Hym., v. 3, p. 381. 9. Preocc. 



