Club-horned Wasps

Sapygidae

How to pronounce Sapygidae: /səˈpɪdʒɪdiː/

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

The Sapygidae are a family of solitary kleptoparasitic wasps, primarily black with varying yellow markings, that parasitize solitary bees.

10‒15 mm, usually black spotted or banded with yellow, eyes deeply notched. Short legs.

Differentiate from Myzininae (Thynnidae) by size and absence of mesosternal lobes; differ from Mutillidae by having a bare body.

Nests of solitary bees, especially in hollow twigs.

Widespread but rather uncommon, most diverse in the western US. Only 6 species reported east of Texas.

Larvae are parasites or kleptoparasites of other aculeate larvae, particularly leaf-cutting bees.

Lifecycle involves female ovipositing eggs into the nests of solitary bees; larvae consume both the host larvae and the food supply.

Females lay eggs in the nests of solitary bees.

Kleptoparasitic role in ecosystems, impacting the populations of solitary bees.

Not of major economic importance, but their host species are important pollinators.

Fossils found in mid-Cretaceous amber in Myanmar and Upper Eocene Baltic amber indicate a long evolutionary history.