Sphex
| Sphex | ||||||||||||
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Locust sand wasp ( Sphex funerarius ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sphex | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
Sphex is a genus of digger wasps (Spheciformes) from the family Sphecidae . The global genus includes 100 species. Thereare 15 speciesin the Palearctic and five species in Europe.
features
In addition to small, the genus usually includes large to very large species. Some species are among the largest hymenoptera in general. The animals are colored black and red and are similar to podalonia ( Podalonia ) and ammophila ( Ammophila ). Unlike these, however, they have a shorter stalk at the base of the abdomen, bidentate claws, and a different wing vein .
Way of life
The females usually create their nests in sandy or stony soil. But there are also species that nest in soil, wall joints or hollow stems. In the case of nests in stems, the cells are laid out one behind the other and separated by shredded plant material. Nests in the ground are at the end of a 10 to 15 centimeter long tube and end in a horizontal or inclined cell. The brood is supplied with long- and short-antenna terrors . The adults are noticeably sluggish in their movements. They look for their prey both on foot and in flight. Fleeing locusts are flown after. It is not uncommon for objects such as leaves or twigs, which have a certain resemblance to prey, and even shadows to be attacked during the search flights. The prey animals are first stabbed into the joint membranes of the hips of the forelegs, sitting on their backs with their abdomen bent far forward, then a second stab is placed in the hips of the middle or mostly rear legs. If the grasshopper tries to escape by jumping, the female still clings to her victim. If the victim is anesthetized, it is grabbed by the mandibles by the antennae and usually transported to the nest by walking. It is not uncommon for the animals to have their legs bitten off.
Species (Europe)
- Sphex atropilosus Kohl , 1885
- Sphex flavipennis Fabricius , 1793
- Sphex funerarius Gussakovskij , 1934
- Sphex leuconotus Brulle , 1833
- Sphex pruinosus Germar , 1817
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Manfred Blösch: The digger wasps of Germany: way of life, behavior, distribution . 1st edition. Goecke & Evers, 2000, ISBN 3-931374-26-2 , pp. 137 .
- ↑ Sphex. Fauna Europaea, accessed July 24, 2010 .
literature
- Manfred Blösch: The digger wasps in Germany: way of life, behavior, distribution . 1st edition. Goecke & Evers, 2000, ISBN 3-931374-26-2 .
