Desert-wasp
Guides
Chyphotidae
Chyphotid Wasps
Chyphotidae is a small family of wasps in the order Hymenoptera, recently separated from Bradynobaenidae based on molecular and morphological studies. The family contains two subfamilies: Chyphotinae (nocturnal) and Typhoctinae (diurnal). Females are wingless and resemble velvet ants (Mutillidae), but can be distinguished by a visible suture between the pronotum and mesonotum. Biological knowledge remains extremely limited, with only a single confirmed host association documented.
Evagetes mohave
Evagetes mohave is a species of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae, described by Nathan Banks in 1933. The genus Evagetes is characterized by a blocky, robust thorax that distinguishes it from the related genus Aporus, which has a more streamlined thorax that slopes gradually toward the head. Members of the genus Evagetes share with Aporus relatively short and thick antennae. The species epithet 'mohave' suggests an association with the Mojave Desert region of southwestern North America.
Polistes major castaneicolor
Sonoran Red Paper Wasp
Polistes major castaneicolor is a large, reddish paper wasp subspecies endemic to the Sonoran Desert region of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. First described by Joseph Charles Bequaert in 1936, it is one of five recognized subspecies of Polistes major. It is distinguished from other P. major subspecies by its predominantly reddish coloration with limited yellow markings.
Trypoxylon tridentatum
Trypoxylon tridentatum is a spider-hunting wasp in the family Crabronidae, subgenus Trypargilum. It inhabits mesic and xeric habitats in arid regions, particularly the Baja California peninsula. The wasp provisions nest cells with paralyzed spiders as food for its larvae, showing strong preference for orb-weaving spiders in the family Araneidae. Unlike its congener T. politum, which constructs free-standing mud nests, T. tridentatum nests in pre-existing cavities such as hollow twigs, beetle borings, and abandoned mud dauber nests.