Nest-guarding

Guides

• Crabronidae

  Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, Digger Wasps

  Crabronidae is a large family of solitary wasps within the superfamily Apoidea, containing over 200 genera and more than 9,000 species. Formerly treated as a subfamily of Sphecidae, it was elevated to family status following taxonomic revision. The family is now recognized as paraphyletic, with bees (Anthophila) and Sphecidae having arisen from within it. Members are commonly known as square-headed wasps, sand wasps, and digger wasps.

  solitary-waspspredatory-waspsparasitoid-waspsdigger-waspssand-waspssquare-headed-waspsprogressive-provisioningnest-guardingprey-paralysis

• Oxybelus sericeus

  Oxybelus sericeus is a species of solitary wasp in the family Crabronidae, subfamily Crabroninae. The species is notable for exhibiting male nest guarding behavior, which is rare among sphecid wasps. Males have been observed remaining at nest entrances and actively defending nests against intruders, representing unusual paternal investment in this group. The species was described by C. Robertson in 1889 and is known from North America.

  solitary-waspnest-guardingmale-parental-careCrabronidaeNorth-America