Myrmosid Wasps

Myrmosidae

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Superfamily: Pompiloidea
Family: Myrmosidae

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Myrmosidae: /mɪərˈmoʊsɪˌdeɪ/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Myrmosa unicolor 57328857 by Even Dankowicz. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Myrmosa unicolor 57328853 by Even Dankowicz. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Myrmosa unicolor (25608932673) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Myrmosa unicolor (26119128172) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Summary

The Myrmosidae, or Myrmosid Wasps, are a small family of wasps that are flightless in females and exhibit kleptoparasitic behavior in the nests of fossorial bees and wasps. They can be easily distinguished from similar families by morphological features such as the thorax structure and the absence of abdominal felt lines.

Physical Characteristics

Females are wingless and much smaller than males, with the thorax divided into two distinct parts. Males lack a spine at the end of the abdomen. Myrmosids can be distinguished from mutillids by the absence of abdominal 'felt lines' in both sexes and the presence of a distinct pronotum in females.

Identification Tips

Look for flightless females with a clearly divided thorax and males without an abdominal spine. The absence of felt lines is also a distinguishing feature from Mutillidae.

Habitat

Present in nests of fossorial bees and wasps, typically in areas where these hosts are found.

Distribution

Currently recognized in various regions, with 15 species in 3 known genera in certain areas, and approximately a dozen additional genera reported.

Diet

The larvae are parasites of various bees and wasps, while adults may exhibit kleptoparasitic behavior in the nests of their hosts.

Life Cycle

Larvae develop as parasites within the nests of bees and wasps.

Reproduction

Specific reproductive behaviors are not detailed; however, given their parasitic nature, reproduction likely involves laying eggs in the nests of host insects.

Ecosystem Role

As kleptoparasites and parasitoids, they play a role in controlling bee and wasp populations.

Evolution

Originally classified within Mutillidae or Tiphiidae, the Myrmosidae family was re-evaluated based on molecular data and is now considered a distinct family related to Mutillidae, established in 2008.

Similar Taxa

Mutillidae