NOTES ON THE NESTING BEHAVIOR OF THE 
BETHYLID WASP, EPYRIS ERIOGONI KIEFFER, 
IN SOUTHERN TEXAS 
By William L. Rubink 1 and Howard E. Evans 
Department of Zoology and Entomology 
Colorado State University 
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 
In spite of its cosmopolitan distribution and large size, the family 
Bethylidae remains relatively poorly known, especially from a behav¬ 
ioral viewpoint. This is particularly unfortunate because of the pre¬ 
sumed phylogenetic importance of this group (e.g., Malyshev, 1968) 
and a growing appreciation of the possible value of these wasps in 
biological control (e.g., Yamada, 1955; Schaefer, 1962; Gordh, 1976; 
Gordh and Evans, 1976). Evidently there is a great diversity in the 
behavior of members of this family. (For reviews see Richards, 1939; 
Yamada, 1955; Evans, 1964; Gordh, 1976). The present paper con¬ 
cerns a species exhibiting behavior remarkably similar to that of 
some of the more generalized fossorial wasps of the families Spheci- 
dae and Pompilidae. 
The genus Epyris, one of the largest in the family, is found in all 
zoogeographic regions. They are small wasps (2-10 mm in length) 
and have been little studied aside from a brief report by Bridwell 
(1917), and a somewhat more detailed account by Williams (1919). 
Bridwell observed a female of a South African species carrying a 
tenebrionid larva. Williams studied the Hawaiian species E. extra- 
neus Bridwell, also a predator on tenebrionid larvae, and described 
stinging behavior, prey carriage, larval development, and certain 
aspects of its nesting behavior. He found that prey were hunted and 
stung before a nest site was selected, and were dragged to the nest site 
using what Williams described as a unique form of carriage, “the prey 
being borne rapidly along on the wasp’s back”. 
Our studies are the first conducted on a North American species of 
Epyris and confirm Williams’ observations while adding some 
details. They were conducted on the shores of the Rio Grande, 
approximately one mile west of the Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, 
Present address: Department of Entomology, Ohio Agricultural Research and 
Development Center, Wooster, Ohio 44691. 
Manuscript received by the editor February 26, 1980. 
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