Ammophila (wasp)

Ammophila is the type genus of the subfamily Ammophilinae of the hunting wasp family Sphecidae. Ammophila is a large and cosmopolitan genus, with over 200 species, mostly occurring in the warmer regions of all continents apart from Antarctica.

This article is about the wasps. It is not to be confused with Ammophila (plant).

Ammophila
Ammophila ferrugineipes
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Sphecidae
Subfamily: Ammophilinae
Genus: Ammophila
W. Kirby, 1798
Type species
Ammophila sabulosa
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Species

Many (>200 species + subspecies[1])

Vernacular names

They sometimes are referred to as "thread-waisted wasps", but the name is not definitive, because many other members of the Sphecidae are thread-waisted, too, and referred to as such. Sometimes Ammophiline wasps are referred to as "sand wasps"; this may be better because it is consistent with the name Ammophila, which derives from the Greek for "sand lover", presumably because many species dig their nests in sand. However, as is frequent in dealing with common names, no definitive common name for the Ammophilinae exists; entomologists usually confine themselves to the technical names for convenience and clarity.

Morphology and habits

As is frequent in large genera, considerable variation occurs in their habits and appearance, but predominantly they are medium-sized wasps of strikingly slender build, with antennae about as long as the head plus thorax.

The jaws are not large, but are strong and apart from feeding and digging, often are used for unexpected functions such as holding a pebble with which the wasp hammers down soil to seal a nest,[2] or to grip the stem of a plant at night, holding its body at right-angles to the stem, its legs folded and all the weight taken up by the mandibles. This habit is not unique to the Ammophilinae — some bees, such as Amegilla, also overnight in that way, and Fabre documented some others.[3]

Ammophila with a captured caterpillar

Nesting

Nesting is generally by digging an unbranched tunnel in sandy soil, but provisioning can be progressive, the mother bringing prey as the larva requires it, or mass provisioning, where each nest is provided with a single large prey item,[4] or as many small prey items as should be required.[2] Prey selection depends on the species available but mostly moth and sawfly caterpillars are chosen.

Species

Listed alphabetically:[1]

  • Ammophila aberti Haldeman, 1852
  • Ammophila acuta (Fernald, 1934)
  • Ammophila adelpha Kohl, 1901
  • Ammophila aellos Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila afghanica Balthasar, 1957
  • Ammophila albotomentosa Morice, 1900
  • Ammophila altigena Gussakovskij, 1930
  • Ammophila aphrodite Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila apicalis Guérin-Méneville, 1835
  • Ammophila arabica W.F. Kirby, 1900
  • Ammophila ardens F. Smith, 1868
  • Ammophila areolata Walker, 1871
  • Ammophila argyrocephala Arnold, 1951
  • Ammophila arnaudi Tsuneki, 1976
  • Ammophila arvensis Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
  • Ammophila asiatica Tsuneki, 1971
  • Ammophila assimilis Kohl, 1901
  • Ammophila atripes F. Smith, 1852
  • Ammophila aucella Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila aurifera R. Turner, 1908
  • Ammophila azteca Cameron, 1888
  • Ammophila barbara (Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845)
  • Ammophila barbarorum Arnold, 1951
  • Ammophila basalis F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila bechuana (R. Turner, 1929)
  • Ammophila bella Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila bellula Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila beniniensis (Palisot de Beauvois, 1806)
  • Ammophila boharti Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila bonaespei Lepeletier, 1845
  • Ammophila borealis Li and C. Yang, 1990
  • Ammophila braunsi (R. Turner, 1919)
  • Ammophila breviceps F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila brevipennis Bingham, 1897
  • Ammophila californica Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila calva (Arnold, 1920)
  • Ammophila campestris Latreille, 1809
  • Ammophila caprella Arnold, 1951
  • Ammophila cellularis Gussakovskij, 1930
  • Ammophila centralis Cameron, 1888
  • Ammophila clavus (Fabricius, 1775)
  • Ammophila cleopatra Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila clypeola Li and C. Yang, 1990
  • Ammophila coachella Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila conditor F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila confusa A. Costa, 1864
  • Ammophila conifera (Arnold, 1920)
  • Ammophila cora Cameron, 1888
  • Ammophila coronata A. Costa, 1864
  • Ammophila crassifemoralis (R. Turner, 1919)
  • Ammophila cybele Menke, 1970
  • Ammophila dantoni Roth in Nadig, 1933
  • Ammophila dejecta Cameron, 1888
  • Ammophila dentigera Gussakovskij, 1928
  • Ammophila deserticola Tsuneki, 1971
  • Ammophila djaouak de Beaumont, 1956
  • Ammophila dolichocephala Cameron, 1910
  • Ammophila dolichodera Kohl, 1884
  • Ammophila dubia Kohl, 1901
  • Ammophila dysmica Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila elongata Fischer de Waldheim, 1843
  • Ammophila erminea Kohl, 1901
  • Ammophila evansi Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila exsecta Kohl, 1906
  • Ammophila extremitata Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila eyrensis R. Turner, 1908
  • Ammophila femurrubra W. Fox, 1894
  • Ammophila fernaldi (Murray, 1938)
  • Ammophila ferrugineipes Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
  • Ammophila ferruginosa Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila filata Walker, 1871
  • Ammophila formicoides Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila formosensis Tsuneki, 1971
  • Ammophila ganquana Yang and Li, 1989
  • Ammophila gaumeri Cameron, 1888
  • Ammophila globifrontalis Li and Ch. Yang, 1995
  • Ammophila gracilis Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
  • Ammophila gracillima Taschenberg, 1869
  • Ammophila guichardi de Beaumont, 1956
  • Ammophila haimatosoma Kohl, 1884
  • Ammophila harti (Fernald, 1931)
  • Ammophila hemilauta Kohl, 1906
  • Ammophila hermosa Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila heteroclypeola Li and Xue, 1998
  • Ammophila hevans Menke, 2004
  • Ammophila heydeni Dahlbom, 1845
  • Ammophila holosericea (Fabricius, 1793)
  • Ammophila honorei Alfieri, 1946
  • Ammophila horni von Schulthess, 1927
  • Ammophila hungarica Mocsáry, 1883
  • Ammophila hurdi Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila iliensis Kazenas, 2001
  • Ammophila imitator Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila induta Kohl, 1901
  • Ammophila infesta F. Smith, 1873
  • Ammophila insignis F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila insolata F. Smith, 1858
  • Ammophila instabilis F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila juncea Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila kalaharica (Arnold, 1935)
  • Ammophila karenae Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila kennedyi (Murray, 1938)
  • Ammophila koppenfelsii Taschenberg, 1880
  • Ammophila laeviceps F. Smith, 1873
  • Ammophila laevicollis Ed. André, 1886
  • Ammophila laevigata F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila lampei Strand, 1910
  • Ammophila laticeps (Arnold, 1928)
  • Ammophila lativalvis Gussakovskij, 1928
  • Ammophila leclercqi Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila leoparda (Fernald, 1934)
  • Ammophila macra Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila marshi Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila mcclayi Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila mediata Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila menghaiana Li and Ch. Yang, 1989
  • Ammophila meridionalis Kazenas, 1980
  • Ammophila mescalero Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila mimica Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila mitlaensis Alfieri, 1961
  • Ammophila modesta Mocsáry, 1883
  • Ammophila moenkopi Menke, 1967
  • Ammophila monachi Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila mongolensis Tsuneki, 1971
  • Ammophila murrayi Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila nancy Menke, 2007
  • Ammophila nasalis Provancher, 1895
  • Ammophila nasuta Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
  • Ammophila nearctica Kohl, 1889
  • Ammophila nefertiti Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila nigricans Dahlbom, 1843
  • Ammophila nitida Fischer de Waldheim, 1834
  • Ammophila novita (Fernald, 1934)
  • Ammophila obliquestriolae Yang and Li, 1989
  • Ammophila obscura Bischoff, 1912
  • Ammophila occipitalis F. Morawitz, 1890
  • Ammophila pachythoracalis Yang and Li, 1989
  • Ammophila parapolita (Fernald, 1934)
  • Ammophila parkeri Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila peckhami (Fernald, 1934)
  • Ammophila peringueyi (Arnold, 1928)
  • Ammophila philomela Nurse, 1903
  • Ammophila picipes Cameron, 1888
  • Ammophila pictipennis Walsh, 1869
  • Ammophila pilimarginata Cameron, 1912
  • Ammophila placida F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila planicollaris Li and C. Yang, 1990
  • Ammophila platensis Brèthes, 1909
  • Ammophila poecilocnemis Morice, 1900
  • Ammophila polita Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila procera Dahlbom, 1843
  • Ammophila producticollis Morice, 1900
  • Ammophila proxima (F. Smith, 1856)
  • Ammophila pruinosa Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila pseudoheydeni Li and He, 2000
  • Ammophila pseudonasuta Bytinski-Salz in de Beaumont and Bytinski-Salz, 1955
  • Ammophila pubescens Curtis, 1836
  • Ammophila pulawskii Tsuneki, 1971
  • Ammophila punctata F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila punctaticeps (Arnold, 1920)
  • Ammophila punti Guichard, 1988
  • Ammophila regina Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila roborovskyi Kohl, 1906
  • Ammophila rubigegen Li and C. Yang, 1990
  • Ammophila rubiginosa Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
  • Ammophila rubripes Spinola, 1839
  • Ammophila ruficollis F. Morawitz, 1890
  • Ammophila ruficosta Spinola, 1851
  • Ammophila rufipes Guérin-Méneville, 1831
  • Ammophila rugicollis Gussakovskij, 1930
  • Ammophila sabulosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Ammophila sarekandana Balthasar, 1957
  • Ammophila sareptana Kohl, 1884
  • Ammophila saussurei (du Buysson, 1897)
  • Ammophila separanda F. Morawitz, 1891
  • Ammophila shoshone Menke, 1967
  • Ammophila sickmanni Kohl, 1901
  • Ammophila silvestris Kirkbride, 1982
  • Ammophila sinensis Sickmann, 1894
  • Ammophila sjoestedti Gussakovskij, 1934
  • Ammophila smithii F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila stangei Menke, 1964
  • Ammophila strenua Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila striata Mocsáry, 1878
  • Ammophila strumosa Kohl, 1906
  • Ammophila subassimilis Strand, 1913
  • Ammophila tekkensis Gussakovskij, 1930
  • Ammophila terminata F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila touareg Ed. André, 1886
  • Ammophila tsunekii Menke in Bohart and Menke, 1976
  • Ammophila tuberculiscutis Turner, 1919
  • Ammophila tyrannica Cameron, 1890
  • Ammophila unita Menke, 1966
  • Ammophila untumoris Yang and Li, 1989
  • Ammophila urnaria Dahlbom, 1843
  • Ammophila vagabunda F. Smith, 1856
  • Ammophila varipes Cresson, 1865
  • Ammophila vetuberosa Li and C. Yang in Li, Li and Yang, 1994
  • Ammophila vulcania du Buysson, 1897
  • Ammophila wahlbergi Dahlbom, 1845
  • Ammophila wrightii (Cresson, 1868)
  • Ammophila xinjiangana Li and C. Yang, 1989
  • Ammophila zanthoptera Cameron, 1888
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References
  1. "Ammophila". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. Peckham, George W, Peckham, Elizabeth G.; Wasps, Social and Solitary, Pub. Constable 1905
  3. Fabre, Jean-Henri; The wonders of instinct; Pub: Century, New York 1918
  4. Barbara J. Hager and Frank E. Kurczewski; Nesting Behavior of Ammophila harti (Fernald) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae); American Midland Naturalist Vol. 116, No. 1 (Jul., 1986); Pub: University of Notre Dame

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