Eumeninae
Guides
Parancistrocerus pedestris
Parancistrocerus pedestris is a small solitary mason wasp in the family Vespidae, subfamily Eumeninae. The species was first described by de Saussure in 1856. Like other members of its genus, it is a cavity-nesting wasp that provisions its nests with paralyzed caterpillars as food for its larval offspring. The species is part of a taxonomically challenging group where live specimens are often difficult to distinguish from related species without microscopic examination.
Parancistrocerus pensylvanicus
Pennsylvania mason wasp
Parancistrocerus pensylvanicus is a solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. It is a cavity-nesting species that provisions nests with paralyzed caterpillars as food for its larvae. The species has been documented in the northeastern United States, including Vermont. Like other members of its genus, it is difficult to distinguish from closely related species such as Stenodynerus without microscopic examination.
Parancistrocerus perennis anacardivora
Parancistrocerus perennis anacardivora is a southern subspecies of the mason wasp Parancistrocerus perennis, distinguished by reddish markings along the side of the first abdominal segment. It is a small solitary wasp with a wing length of 6-8 millimeters. Females hunt caterpillars to provision nest cells in hollow twigs or pre-existing cavities, paralyzing prey with their sting. The subspecies ranges from southern Ontario to Florida and west to the Mississippi River, with anacardivora occurring in the southern portion of this range.
Parancistrocerus rectangulis
Parancistrocerus rectangulis is a small solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. Like other members of its genus, it nests in pre-existing cavities such as hollow twigs or beetle borings, provisioning cells with paralyzed caterpillars as food for its larvae. The species was described by Viereck in 1908. Specific natural history details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature, though genus-level traits suggest typical eumenine biology.
Parancistrocerus toltecus
Parancistrocerus toltecus is a small mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. As a member of this genus, it is a solitary cavity-nesting wasp that provisions its nests with paralyzed caterpillars for its larval offspring. The species was described by de Saussure in 1857. Like other Parancistrocerus species, it likely utilizes pre-existing hollow twigs or beetle borings in dead wood for nest construction. Very little specific information has been published about the natural history of this particular species.
Parancistrocerus vagus
Parancistrocerus vagus is a small solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. It belongs to a genus of cavity-nesting wasps that provision their young with paralyzed caterpillars. The species was described by de Saussure in 1857. Limited specific information is available for this species, though genus-level traits suggest typical mason wasp biology including use of pre-existing cavities and caterpillar prey.
Pseudepipona
A genus of potter wasps (subfamily Eumeninae) distributed across the Palearctic, Nearctic, Afrotropical, and Australian regions. Species are organized into species-groups based on morphological traits, particularly the presence or absence of long setae on the gena, scutum, and propleuron. The genus has undergone recent taxonomic revision, with multiple new species and subspecies elevated or described.
Pterocheilus denticulatus
Pterocheilus denticulatus is a solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae, characterized by fossorial nesting behavior in sandy or soft soils. Females excavate burrows using specialized morphological adaptations including a tarsal rake on the front feet and a psammophore—a "beard" of long setae on the palps used to transport excavated soil away from the nest entrance. The species was described by de Saussure in 1855 and belongs to a genus of approximately 40 North American species, most diverse in the southwestern United States.
Pterocheilus diversicolor
Pterocheilus diversicolor is a species of solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae, described by Rohwer in 1911. Like other members of the genus Pterocheilus, females are fossorial, excavating burrows in soil or sand using specialized tarsal spines and a psammophore (beard-like setae on the mouthparts) to carry excavated material away from the nest entrance. The species belongs to a genus of approximately 40 North American species with greatest diversity in the southwestern United States. Specific biological details for P. diversicolor remain poorly documented compared to better-studied congeners such as P. quinquefasciatus.
Pterocheilus hirsutipennis
A solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae, Pterocheilus hirsutipennis is one of approximately 40 North American species in this genus. Like other Pterocheilus, females are fossorial, excavating subterranean burrows in sandy or soft soils rather than using pre-existing cavities or building mud nests. The species was described by Bohart in 1940 and is part of a genus whose members are most diverse in the southwestern United States. Most species biology remains poorly documented.
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mirandus
Pterocheilus mirandus is a solitary mason wasp in the family Vespidae, subfamily Eumeninae, described by Cresson in 1897. Like other members of the genus Pterocheilus, this species is fossorial, excavating burrows in soil rather than using pre-existing cavities or constructing mud nests. The genus is most diverse in the southwestern United States, with approximately forty North American species. Most Pterocheilus species are poorly known biologically due to their secretive nesting habits and effective concealment of burrow entrances.
Pterocheilus pedicellatus
Pterocheilus pedicellatus is a species of solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae, described by Bohart in 1940. Like other members of the genus Pterocheilus, this species is fossorial, excavating burrows in soil rather than constructing above-ground mud nests or using pre-existing cavities. The genus is most diverse in the southwestern United States, with approximately forty North American species. Most Pterocheilus species are poorly known biologically, though related species provision their burrows with paralyzed caterpillars as food for their larvae.
Pterocheilus sinopis
Pterocheilus sinopis is a species of solitary mason wasp in the family Vespidae, subfamily Eumeninae. It is one of approximately 40 species in the genus Pterocheilus, a group characterized by fossorial (burrow-digging) nesting behavior. The species was described by Richard M. Bohart in 1999. Like other members of its genus, females are equipped with specialized anatomical adaptations for excavating soil burrows, including a psammophore (a "beard" of setae on the palps) for transporting soil away from nest sites.
Stenodynerus
Stenodynerus is a large genus of potter wasps (subfamily Eumeninae) distributed across the Nearctic, Palearctic, Oriental, and Neotropical regions. Females are known to provision nests with paralyzed caterpillars as food for their larvae. The genus is morphologically close to Parancistrocerus, Hypancistrocerus, and Eustenancistrocerus, with which it shares diagnostic features including medial pits on the anterior pronotum and expanded tegulae. Most species lack a transverse carina on the first metasomal tergum.
Stenodynerus anormis
Mason wasp
Stenodynerus anormis is a solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. The species is difficult to distinguish from the related genus Parancistrocerus based on live specimens or photographs; microscopic examination of actual specimens is often required for positive identification. Females are known to provision nest cavities with paralyzed caterpillars as food for their larval offspring. The species has been documented utilizing artificial nesting structures such as bee blocks.
Stenodynerus blandoides
Stenodynerus blandoides is a species of solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae, described by Bohart in 1943. It is a small, cavity-nesting wasp that provision nests with paralyzed caterpillars for its larval offspring. The species is difficult to distinguish from closely related genera such as Parancistrocerus based on live specimens alone. Like other eumenine wasps, it utilizes pre-existing tunnels in wood or hollow stems for nesting.
Stenodynerus blandus
Stenodynerus blandus is a species of mason wasp in the family Vespidae, subfamily Eumeninae. It is a small, solitary, cavity-nesting wasp that provisionally places paralyzed caterpillars in pre-existing cavities for its larval offspring. The species is difficult to distinguish from the closely related genus Parancistrocerus based on external morphology alone, often requiring microscopic examination for definitive identification. It has been documented utilizing artificial nesting structures such as bee blocks.
Stenodynerus blepharus
Stenodynerus blepharus is a species of solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae, described by Bohart in 1953. The species is currently treated as a synonym of Rhynchalastor blepharus in some taxonomic databases, reflecting ongoing taxonomic revision in this group. As with other Stenodynerus species, it is presumed to be a cavity-nesting wasp that provisions its larvae with paralyzed caterpillars. Direct observations of this specific species in the field are sparse, with only two observations recorded in iNaturalist.
Stenodynerus fundatiformis gonosceles
Stenodynerus fundatiformis gonosceles is a subspecies of mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. The genus Stenodynerus contains solitary, cavity-nesting wasps provisioned with paralyzed caterpillars. This subspecies is poorly documented in available sources, with only one observation recorded on iNaturalist. Males of the genus have a distinctive antennal modification: the last antennal segment is folded like a finger against the adjacent segment.
Stenodynerus krombeini
Stenodynerus krombeini is a solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. It is a small, cavity-nesting species that provisions its nests with paralyzed caterpillars as food for its larvae. The species is difficult to distinguish from the closely related genus Parancistrocerus based on images of live specimens; microscopic examination is typically required for definitive identification. Males have a distinctive antennal structure with the last segment folded against the adjacent segment.
Stenodynerus lucidus
Stenodynerus lucidus is a small solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. The species was described by Rohwer in 1917 and is currently considered a synonym of Rhynchalastor lucidus by some taxonomic authorities, though it remains listed under Stenodynerus in other sources. Like other eumenine wasps, it nests in pre-existing cavities and provisions its cells with paralyzed caterpillars as food for its larvae.
Stenodynerus microstictus
Stenodynerus microstictus is a solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. The species is difficult to distinguish from closely related genera such as Parancistrocerus based on external appearance alone. Females are known to provision nests with paralyzed caterpillars as food for their larvae. The species has been documented in western North America, including Colorado and California.
Stenodynerus ochrogonius
A solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae, originally described by Bohart in 1944. Currently treated as a synonym of Rhynchalastor ochrogonius in some taxonomic databases, though iNaturalist and other sources maintain it under Stenodynerus. Like other eumenine wasps, females are predatory on caterpillars, which they paralyze and provision in nest cells for their larval offspring. Males have a distinctive antennal modification with the last segment folded like a finger against the adjacent segment. The species has been documented in Colorado and California.
Stenodynerus oculeus
Stenodynerus oculeus is a solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. It is a small, cavity-nesting species that provisions its nests with paralyzed caterpillars as food for its larvae. The species is difficult to distinguish from closely related genera such as Parancistrocerus without microscopic examination. Males have been observed foraging on flowers, with the last antennal segment modified into a finger-like structure folded against the adjacent segment.
Stenodynerus percampanulatus
Stenodynerus percampanulatus is a solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. The species has been synonymized under Rhynchalastor percampanulatus in some taxonomic treatments. Like other Stenodynerus species, it is a cavity-nesting wasp that provisions nests with paralyzed caterpillars as food for its larvae. The genus is morphologically similar to Parancistrocerus, and the two are often difficult to distinguish in field observations.
Stenodynerus taosoides
Stenodynerus taosoides is a species of mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae (family Vespidae). Members of the genus Stenodynerus are solitary wasps that construct nests in pre-existing cavities, provisioning them with paralyzed caterpillars as food for their larval offspring. The species name suggests a connection to the Taos region of northern New Mexico, though specific details about its distribution and biology remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Symmorphus
mason wasps, potter wasps
Symmorphus is a genus of solitary mason wasps in the subfamily Eumeninae, distributed primarily across the Holarctic region with 36 recognized species. These small wasps (6–20 mm) are cavity-nesters that utilize pre-existing holes in wood, hollow stems, or twigs, partitioning them into multiple cells with mud walls. Females are predators that mass-provision nests with paralyzed larvae of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), weevils (Curculionidae), or leaf-mining moth caterpillars. The genus occupies a relatively isolated phylogenetic position within Eumeninae and includes two subgenera: S. (Symmorphus) and S. (Parasymmorphus).
Symmorphus canadensis
Canadian potter wasp, Canadian mason wasp
Symmorphus canadensis is the smallest North American species in the genus Symmorphus, measuring approximately 6–10 mm. This solitary mason wasp specializes in hunting leaf beetle larvae, weevil larvae, and leaf-mining moth caterpillars to provision nests constructed in pre-existing cavities. Females partition nest tunnels into multiple cells using mud partitions, laying one egg per cell atop paralyzed prey. The species is transcontinental across North America, absent only from Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Zeta
potter wasps
Zeta is a small neotropical genus of potter wasps in the subfamily Eumeninae, family Vespidae. The genus currently contains four species, with most having restricted geographic distributions. Three species are limited to specific regions: Zeta confusum is endemic to Cuba, Zeta abdominale occurs on several Caribbean islands, and Zeta mendozanum is restricted to the Monte and Patagonia regions of Argentina. Zeta argillaceum is the exception, being widespread and common across much of the neotropics.
Zethus
mason wasps, potter wasps
Zethus is the largest genus in the subfamily Eumeninae (potter and mason wasps), containing over 250 species. The genus is predominantly Neotropical in distribution, with three recognized subgenera: Zethus (Zethus), Zethus (Zethusculus), and Zethus (Zethoides). Species are solitary and construct nests using diverse materials including mud, sand, vegetable matter, and insect parts. Many species are poorly known, with numerous taxa described from only one sex.
Zethus spinipes
Zethus spinipes is a species of stinging wasp in the family Vespidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1837. It is distributed across the eastern United States, with recognized subspecies occupying distinct geographic ranges. The species belongs to the subfamily Eumeninae, commonly known as potter or mason wasps.
Zethus spinipes variegatus
A subspecies of potter wasp in the genus Zethus, distinguished by variegated coloration. As a member of the Eumeninae subfamily, it constructs mud or clay nests provisioned with paralyzed prey for its larvae. The subspecies designation indicates geographic variation in color pattern within the broader Zethus spinipes species complex.