Cricket-hunter
Guides
Liris
Liris is a large genus of solitary, ground-nesting wasps in the family Crabronidae, tribe Larrini, containing over 260 species worldwide with greatest diversity in the tropics. These wasps are among the earliest emerging solitary wasps in spring because females overwinter as adults. They are medium-sized, silvery-black wasps that hunt crickets as prey for their larvae. Only two species, L. argentatus and L. beata, occur consistently north of the extreme southern United States.
Liris apicipennis
Liris apicipennis is a species of solitary wasp in the family Crabronidae, tribe Larrini. The genus Liris contains over 260 species worldwide, with most diversity concentrated in tropical regions. Liris species are among the earliest solitary wasps to appear in spring, as females overwinter as adults. Like other members of its genus, L. apicipennis likely hunts crickets as prey and constructs underground nests, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Liris argentatus
Square-headed Wasp
Liris argentatus is a solitary, square-headed wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is one of the most abundant and widespread species of its genus in North America, ranging from southern Canada to Panama. Females overwinter as adults and emerge early in spring, often being among the first solitary wasps observed. The species is a specialist predator of crickets, provisioning underground nests with paralyzed prey for its larvae.
Liris partitus
Liris partitus is a species of square-headed wasp in the family Crabronidae, tribe Larrini. It is known from Central America and North America. As a member of the genus Liris, it is likely a solitary wasp that hunts crickets as prey, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented. The species was described in 1984 as part of a revision of North American Liris.
Lyroda
square-headed wasps, cricket hunters
Lyroda is a genus of solitary, square-headed wasps in the family Crabronidae. The genus contains at least 26 described species, with most diversity occurring in Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America; one species, L. subita, is widespread in North America. Females are specialized hunters of crickets and related orthopterans, provisioning underground nests with paralyzed prey for their larvae.
Lyroda subita
square-headed wasp, cricket hunter
Lyroda subita is a solitary, medium-sized square-headed wasp in the family Crabronidae. Females construct underground nests and provision them with paralyzed crickets as food for their larvae. The species is distinguished from similar genera by its large arolia (tarsal foot pads) and three functional ocelli. It occurs across much of North America and has been documented using both typical cricket hosts and, in at least one case, pygmy mole crickets.