Pemphredonina

Members nest in pre-existing cavities including beetle borings, hollow stems, twigs, and vacant plant galls. Nests are partitioned into linear series of cells using plant or tree resin.

North America: genera such as Passaloecus occur across the entire continent. Specific range limits for the subtribe as a whole are not documented.

Adults feed on honeydew secreted by aphids. Larvae are provisioned with paralyzed or dead aphids; cell contents range from six to over sixty aphid victims.

Solitary nesting with partitioned cells, each containing an egg laid on provisioned aphids. Passaloecus ithacae produces six to twelve cells per nest with two generations annually in at least some populations (Erie County, New York).

Females hunt aphids, sometimes stinging or crushing victims with their jaws before transporting them to nests. Adults have been observed feeding on honeydew from leaf surfaces.

Predators of aphids; contribute to aphid population suppression alongside more commonly recognized predators such as lady beetles and lacewings. Nests are subject to parasitism by cuckoo wasps (Omalus aeneus) and ichneumon wasps (Poemenia albipes, P. americana).

Beneficial insects for biological pest control. Can be attracted to residential areas through provision of artificial nesting blocks with 3/16 inch diameter holes drilled to approximately four inches depth.

• aphid predator
• solitary wasp
• biological control
• resin nest partitions

• BugGuide
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Bug Eric: Wasp Wednesday: Passaloecus