Kleptoparasite-host
Guides
Hoplisoides nebulosus
sand wasp
Hoplisoides nebulosus is a solitary sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, known for hunting treehoppers (Membracidae) to provision underground nests. The species is found primarily in the eastern United States, with a subspecies H. n. spilopterus occurring in western regions including Colorado. Females construct burrows in sandy soil with distinctive spotted wings that aid in identification. The species exhibits specialized nesting behavior including head-first entry into burrows and rapid nest closure that leaves them vulnerable to parasitism.
Lindenius
Lindenius is a genus of solitary wasps in the family Crabronidae containing 63 known species, predominantly distributed in the Palearctic with some Nearctic representatives. Species exhibit diverse prey specialization: L. pygmaeus armatus hunts chalcid wasps (primarily Pteromalidae), while L. albilabris preys on paralyzed spiders. Nests are excavated in sandy or loess soils, with burrows containing multiple cells provisioned with prey items. Adults are active from late May to late July and visit flowers for nectar.
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.
Melitta
Blunt-horn Bees
Melitta is a genus of solitary bees in the family Melittidae, comprising approximately 40 species distributed across Africa and the northern temperate zone. Most species are Palaearctic in distribution, with three rare species occurring in North America. These bees are commonly known as Blunt-horn Bees and are characterized by their specialized ecological associations with particular host plants.
Metepeira
labyrinth spiders, labyrinth orb-weavers
Metepeira is a genus of small orb-weaving spiders in the family Araneidae, first described by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1903. The genus contains 44 species distributed from Argentina to Canada, with highest diversity in western North America and Mexico. These spiders construct distinctive webs combining a small orb web with a tangled, labyrinthine snare surrounding a thimble-like retreat. Some species exhibit facultative colonial behavior, with individuals interlacing webs over large areas under conditions of high prey availability.
Metepeira labyrinthea
Labyrinth Orbweaver
Metepeira labyrinthea, commonly known as the labyrinth orbweaver, is a small orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. It is distinguished by its highly characteristic web structure, which combines a small orb web with an irregular, tangled snare and a debris-covered retreat. The species occurs across much of the Americas and exhibits notable ecological interactions, including serving as host to kleptoparasitic dewdrop spiders.
Palmodes
Palmodes is a genus of thread-waisted wasps in the family Sphecidae, comprising more than 20 described species. These solitary wasps are known for hunting katydids (Tettigoniidae), particularly large species such as Mormon crickets, which they paralyze and provision in underground burrows for their larval offspring. The genus has attracted scientific attention due to its role as a host for kleptoparasitic wasps in the genus Stizoides.
Palmodes dimidiatus
Palmodes dimidiatus is a species of thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is a solitary, ground-nesting wasp that hunts katydids (Tettigoniidae) as prey for its larval offspring. The species is known to be parasitized by the kleptoparasitic wasp Stizoides renicinctus, which raids its food caches. Palmodes dimidiatus occurs in North America and Middle America.
Palmodes praestans
Palmodes praestans is a thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, characterized by its distinctive thread-like petiole connecting the thorax and abdomen. The species is known to be kleptoparasitized by Stizoides renicinctus, which exploits its food caches of katydid prey. Like other members of its genus, it hunts katydids (Tettigoniidae) to provision underground nest cells for its larvae.
Prionyx atratus
Prionyx atratus is a solitary, thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is one of two entirely black species in the genus Prionyx found in North America. Females construct underground burrows in sandy soil to provision with paralyzed grasshoppers as food for their offspring. The species is distributed across virtually the entire United States and into southwest Canada.
Prionyx canadensis
Prionyx canadensis is a solitary, thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae. Females are distinguished from similar species P. parkeri and P. thomae by the absence of silvery hairs on the thorax. Like other members of the genus, this species is a parasitoid that hunts grasshoppers and provisions underground burrows with paralyzed prey for their larvae.