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Ampulicidae

(Family)

Overview

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The Ampulicidae, or Cockroach wasps, is a small (approx. 200 species), primarily tropical group of wasps, all of which use various roaches as prey items for their larvae. They tend to have elongated jaws, a pronounced neck-like constriction behind the head, a strongly petiolate abdomen, and deep grooves on the thorax. Many are quite ant-like in appearance, though some are brilliant metallic blue or green. Most species sting the roach, paralyzing it with their venom, and then walk backwards while dragging the roach to a burrow, where an egg will be laid upon it. At times, it has even been observed (in Ampulex compressa) that the roach is not paralyzed, but will remain motionless if left alone, and follow along where the wasp leads it when its antenna (which the wasp clips with its mandibles) is tugged upon.

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Family Ampulicidae is a member of the Superfamily Apoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Ampulicidae:

The Family Ampulicidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Agapostemon

The Agapostemon is a common group of Western hemisphere sweat bees of generally green or blue appearance (head and thorax always, sometimes also the abdomen in some females). There are some 45 species in the genus, ranging from Canada to Argentina. They superficially resemble various members of the tribe Augochlorini, which are typically metallic greenish in appearance. [more]

Ampulex

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Andrena

Andrena is the largest in the family Andrenidae, and is nearly worldwide in distribution, with the notable exceptions of Oceania and South America. With over 1,300 species, it is one of the largest of all bee genera. Species are often brown to black with whitish abdominal hair bands, though other colors are possible, most commonly reddish, but also including metallic blue or green. [more]

Anthidiellum

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Anthidium

Anthidium is a genus of often called mason or potter bees, who use conifer resin, plant hairs, mud, or a mix of them to build nests. They are in the family Megachilidae which is cosmopolitan in distribution and made up of species that are mostly solitary bees with pollen-carrying scopae that are only located on the ventral surface of the abdomen. Other bee families have the pollen-carrying structures on the hind legs. Typically species of Anthidium feed on pollen and nectar from plants, though some species are robber bees that take food from other bees. Anthidium florentinum bees are distinguished from most its relatives by yellow of brick-red thoraxic bands. They fly all summer and make the nests in holes in the ground, walls or trees, with hairs plucked from plants. [more]

Anthophora

The genus Anthophora is one of the largest in the family , with over 450 species worldwide in 14 different subgenera. They are most abundant and diverse in the Holarctic and African biogeogrpahic regions. All species are solitary, though many nest in large aggregations. Nearly all species make nests in the soil, either in banks or in flat ground; the larvae develop in cells with waterproof linings and do not spin cocoons. Males commonly have pale white or yellow facial markings, and/or peculiarly modified leg armature and hairs. They are distinguished from the very similar genus Amegilla by the possession of an arolium between the tarsal claws. [more]

Apis

Apis can refer to the following: [more]

Bembix

Bembix is a large cosmopolitan genus of large, often brightly-colored predatory , consisting of about 380 species. [more]

Bombus

A bumblebee (or bumble bee) is any member of the genus Bombus, in the family Apidae; there are over 250 known species primarily occurring in the Northern Hemisphere. [more]

Centris

The genus Centris contains over 110 species of large bees occurring from Kansas to Argentina. A number of these bees possess adaptations for carrying floral oils rather than (or in addition to) pollen or nectar. [more]

Ceratina

The cosmopolitan genus Ceratina, often referred to as small carpenter bees, is the sole lineage of the tribe Ceratinini, and closely related to the more familiar carpenter bees. They make nests in dead wood, stems, or pith, and while many are solitary, a number are subsocial, with mothers caring for their larvae, and in a few cases where multiple females are found in a single nest, daughters or sisters may form very small, weakly eusocial colonies (where one bee forages and the other remains in the nest and lays eggs). [more]

Chlorion

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Colletes

The genus Colletes (or plasterer bees) is a very large group of ground-nesting bees within the family Colletidae, with over 450 species worldwide, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. These bees tend to be solitary, though sometimes nest close together in so-called aggregations. Species in the genus build cells in underground nests that are lined with a polyester secretion, earning them the nickname Polyester bees. [more]

Crossocerus

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Dianthidium

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Dieunomia

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Dolichurus

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Dufourea

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Epeoloides

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Epeolus

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Epicharis

Epicharis may be: [more]

Eucera

[more]

Habropoda

[more]

Hylaeus

Hylaeus can refer to: [more]

Leioproctus

[more]

Liris

The Liri ( Liris, previously, Clanis; Greek: ) is one of the principal rivers of central Italy, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea a little below Minturno under the name Garigliano. The Liri's source is in the Monte Camiciola (1,701 m) in the Monti Simbruini of central Apennines (Abruzzo, comune of Cappadocia): in the nearby is the Lake Fucino, of which it has been sometimes, but erroneously, regarded as a subterranean outlet. It flows at first in a southeasterly direction through a long trough-like valley, parallel to the general direction of the Apennines, until it reaches the city of Sora, after which it receives the waters of Fibreno. A dam is built on the river after the conjunction with the Sacco River at Ceprano. The last important Liri's tributary is the Melfa, with which it joins near Aquino. After Cassino it receives the waters of the river Gari (or Rapido), and afterwards it is known as Garigliano. [more]

Lithurgus

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Macropis

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Megachile

The genus Megachile is a group of solitary bees, often called leafcutter bees. While other genera within the family Megachilidae may chew leaves or petals into fragments to build their nests, certain species within Megachile neatly cut pieces of leaves or petals, hence their common name. This is one of the largest genera of bees, with well over 500 species in over 50 subgenera. North America has many native Megachile species, though the imported Alfalfa leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata) is the only truly important species used for pollination. [more]

Melecta

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Melissodes

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Melitta

Melitta is a -based company selling coffee, paper coffee filters, and coffee makers, part of the Melitta Group, which also has Melitta branches in other countries world-wide. [more]

Nomada

With over 850 species, the genus Nomada is one of the largest genera in the entire family , and the largest genus of cleptoparasitic "cuckoo bees"; they occur worldwide, and utilize many different types of bees as hosts, primarily the genus Andrena. As parasites, they lack a pollen-carrying scopa, and are often extraordinarily wasp-like in appearance with red, black, yellow colors prevailing, and with smoky (infuscated) wings or wing tips. [more]

Nomia

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Pemphredon

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Philanthus

The genus Philanthus of the subfamilly is in the family Crabronidae. The genus consists of solitary, predatory wasps, most of which prey on bees, giving them the common name "beewolves." The adult females dig tunnels in the ground for nesting, while the territorial males mark twigs and other objects with pheromones to claim the territory from competing males. [more]

Sphecius

Cicada killer wasps (the Sphecius) are large, solitary, ground dwelling, predatory wasps. They are so named because they hunt cicadas and provision their nests with them, after stinging and paralyzing them. There are some 20 species worldwide. The highest diversity occurs in the region between North Africa and Central Asia. [more]

Stelis

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Svastra

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Tetraloniella

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Trachusa

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Xylocopa

Carpenter bees (the genus Xylocopa in the subfamily Xylocopinae) are large, hairy bees distributed worldwide. There are some 500 species of carpenter bee in 31 subgenera. Their name comes from the fact that nearly all species build their nests in burrows in dead wood, bamboo, or structural timbers (except those in the subgenus Proxylocopa, which nest in the ground). Members of the related tribe are sometimes referred to as "small carpenter bees". [more]

At least 84 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Xylocopa.

More info about the Genus Xylocopa may be found here.

Sources

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Last Revised: November 19, 2008