Rhopalum

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rhopalum
Rhopalum coarctatum

Rhopalum coarctatum

Systematics
Order : Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera)
Superfamily : Apoidea
without rank: Digger wasps (Spheciformes)
Family : Crabronidae
Subfamily : Crabroninae
Genre : Rhopalum
Scientific name
Rhopalum
Stephens , 1829

Rhopalum is a genus of digger wasps (Spheciformes) from the Crabronidae family. It is distributed worldwide, about 110 species are known. 17 species occur in the Palearctic , five species occur in Europe, all of them also in Central Europe.

features

The small, slender, black digger wasps, some have a red-colored abdomen. The first abdominal segment is characteristically drawn out like a handle, but at the end it is widened in a club-shaped manner.

Way of life

Since the females of most species have narrowed pygidial plates, it is assumed that the nests are created in branches or above-ground cavities. The European species nest in hollow or medullary stems. Depending on the diameter of the stem, the cells are laid out one behind the other or branch off from a winding passage with short side passages. Old nests are often reused. A species is known from Australia that has a wide pygidial field, it nests in the ground. The brood is usually supplied with small two-winged flies , especially mosquitoes (Chironomidae), but also dust lice and aphids , more rarely winged ants and leaf fleas of the family Psyllidae or small butterflies. Eggs are laid on either the first two or the last prey. Pupation takes place in a soft, brownish cocoon , the surface of which is rough, surrounded by the remains of chitin from the prey.

Species (Europe)

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Manfred Blösch: The digger wasps in Germany: way of life, behavior, distribution . 1st edition. Goecke & Evers, 2000, ISBN 3-931374-26-2 , pp. 284 f .
  2. ↑ Rhopalum. Fauna Europaea, accessed July 23, 2010 .

literature

  • Manfred Blösch: The digger wasps in Germany: way of life, behavior, distribution . 1st edition. Goecke & Evers, 2000, ISBN 3-931374-26-2 .

Web links

Commons : Rhopalum  - collection of images, videos and audio files