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Guides
Ammophila
Thread-waisted Sand Wasps
Ammophila is a large, cosmopolitan genus of solitary hunting wasps in the family Sphecidae, comprising over 200 species distributed across warmer regions of all continents except Antarctica. These thread-waisted wasps are characterized by their elongated, slender petiole connecting the thorax and abdomen, and their distinctive nesting behavior involving burrow excavation and caterpillar provisioning. Females construct underground nests in sandy or compact soils, paralyze caterpillars with their sting, and provide this food source for their developing larvae. The genus serves as a host for Strepsiptera endoparasites and is subject to nest parasitism by satellite flies and other organisms.