Progressive-provisioning
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.
Ammophila azteca
Aztec Thread-waisted Wasp
Ammophila azteca is a thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, native to Canada, Mexico, and the continental United States. It ranges from near sea level to over 6,000 feet in elevation. The species exhibits distinctive nesting behavior involving pebble-mediated burrow closures and progressive provisioning of caterpillar prey for its larvae.
Bembecinus
sand wasp, sand wasps
Bembecinus is a cosmopolitan genus of sand wasps in the family Crabronidae, with approximately 200 described species worldwide. These small to medium-sized wasps are known for their distinctive eye morphology—strongly convergent at the bottom of the face and strongly divergent at the top of the head—and for practicing progressive provisioning of their larvae. Females construct burrows in sandy substrates and hunt leafhoppers to feed their offspring, while males exhibit complex alternative mating tactics including digging for pre-emergent females and patrolling for mates.
Bembecinus floridanus
sand wasp
Bembecinus floridanus is a small sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, first described by Krombein & Willink in 1951. As a member of the genus Bembecinus, it exhibits the characteristic traits of this group: strongly convergent eyes at the bottom of the face and strongly divergent at the top of the head, along with a petiolate or nearly petiolate second submarginal cell in the forewing. The species is found in North America and, like other Bembecinus, is a solitary ground-nesting wasp that provisions its larvae with prey.
Bembecinus nanus
Bembecinus nanus is a small sand wasp species in the tribe Stizina, family Crabronidae. Like other members of its genus, it excavates burrows in sandy substrates and provisions nests with leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) for its larvae. The species practices progressive provisioning, bringing prey to the developing larva on an as-needed basis rather than mass provisioning. It is one of approximately 190 Bembecinus species worldwide and among ten species recorded from North America north of Mexico.
Bembicini
Sand Wasps
Bembicini is a large tribe of solitary wasps commonly known as sand wasps, comprising approximately 20 genera distributed across multiple subtribes. These wasps are characterized by their ground-nesting behavior in sandy substrates and their role as predators provisioning nests with paralyzed insect prey. The tribe exhibits notable diversity in prey preferences, with most genera specializing on particular insect orders—most commonly Diptera, though some target Hemiptera, Orthoptera, or other groups. Many species form dense nesting aggregations where numerous females excavate burrows in close proximity, creating conspicuous colonies that attract specialized parasites and cleptoparasites.
Bembix
sand wasps
Bembix is a cosmopolitan genus of approximately 380 species of solitary predatory sand wasps in the family Crabronidae. These wasps are characterized by their large size, often bright coloration, and specialized nesting behavior in sandy substrates. Females excavate burrows in loose sand and provision them with paralyzed flies for their larvae, exhibiting progressive provisioning where prey is delivered as the larva develops. The genus has been documented across North America, Europe, southern Africa, and Australia, with species showing varying degrees of geographic restriction from widespread to narrowly endemic.
Bembix americana
American Sand Wasp
Bembix americana is a solitary digger wasp in the family Crabronidae, widely distributed across the Americas from the Caribbean to North and South America. Females construct burrows in loose sand where they provision cells with paralyzed flies as food for their larvae. The species exhibits notable parental care, with females progressively increasing prey deliveries as larvae grow. Seven subspecies are currently recognized, reflecting considerable geographic variation in morphology and nesting behavior.
Bembix americana comata
Western Sand Wasp
Bembix americana comata is a subspecies of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, native to western North America. It is a solitary digger wasp that constructs burrows in loose sand to provision with paralyzed flies for its larvae. The subspecies is part of a variable species complex where nest architecture shows population-level variation in cell number. Adults are active during warmer months and are commonly observed on barren sand exposures.
Bembix americana hamata
Bembix americana hamata is a subspecies of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae. Adult females construct burrows in loose sand and provision them with paralyzed flies to feed their developing larvae. The subspecies is part of the broader B. americana complex, which includes several geographically variable forms across North America. Like other members of the genus, this wasp exhibits solitary nesting behavior with progressive provisioning—providing increasing numbers of prey items as the larva grows.
Bembix americana spinolae
Eastern Sand Wasp
A sand wasp subspecies common on barren sand exposures where females dig burrows into loose sand. Adults provision nests with paralyzed flies, with females providing progressively more prey as larvae grow. Formerly placed in family Sphecidae, now classified in Crabronidae. The subspecies is part of a variable species complex with intermediate characteristics between B. americana comata and B. americana spinolae in some populations.
Bembix amoena
sand wasp
Bembix amoena is a species of solitary sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, native to North America. Like other members of the genus Bembix, females construct burrows in sandy substrates and provision them with paralyzed flies to feed their larvae. The species exhibits progressive provisioning, where the mother continues to bring prey to her developing offspring. Adults of both sexes visit flowers for nectar, particularly composites in the Asteraceae family.
Bembix belfragei
A solitary sand wasp in the genus Bembix, characterized by ground-nesting behavior in loose, sandy substrates. Females excavate burrows to provision with paralyzed flies, exhibiting progressive parental care by delivering prey as larvae develop. Adults of both sexes visit flowers for nectar, particularly composites. The species is part of a diverse North American radiation of sand wasps with complex nesting behaviors.
Bembix nubilipennis
Bembix nubilipennis is a sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, first described by Cresson in 1873. Like other members of the genus Bembix, this species is associated with sandy habitats where females excavate burrows to provision with paralyzed flies as food for their larvae. The species is found in North America and Middle America, though specific behavioral and ecological details for this particular species remain limited in published literature. Most information about Bembix biology derives from studies of more common congeners.
Bembix pallidipicta
A sand wasp species in the genus Bembix, first described by Frederick Smith in 1873. As with other members of this genus, females construct burrows in loose, sandy substrates and provision nests with paralyzed flies for their developing larvae. The species is part of a diverse group of solitary wasps known for their rapid, energetic movements and distinctive nesting behaviors.
Bembix rugosa
Bembix rugosa is a species of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, described by J. Parker in 1917. As a member of the genus Bembix, it shares the characteristic behaviors of solitary digger wasps that excavate burrows in sandy substrates and provision nests with paralyzed flies for their larvae. The species occurs in North America, though specific details about its biology and distribution remain limited compared to better-studied congeners such as Bembix americana.
Bembix sayi
sand wasp
Bembix sayi is a species of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, found in Central America and North America. Like other members of the genus, it is a solitary wasp that excavates burrows in sandy substrates and provisions nests with paralyzed flies for its larvae. The species exhibits progressive provisioning, where females continue to supply food as the larva grows.
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.
Microbembex
sand wasps
Microbembex is a genus of sand wasps in the family Crabronidae, containing more than 30 described species. These solitary wasps are known for nesting in sandy substrates and have been documented primarily in North America. The genus has been the subject of behavioral studies, particularly regarding nest-finding and activity patterns. Some species have been recorded as hosts for velvet ants (Mutillidae).
Pemphredon
Typical Aphid Wasps, Aphid Wasps
Pemphredon is a genus of small to medium-sized solitary wasps in the family Crabronidae, commonly known as aphid wasps. The genus contains approximately 37 recognized species distributed across the Holarctic and northern Oriental regions. Females are specialized predators of aphids, which they hunt to provision nest cells for their larvae. These wasps are considered beneficial insects in agricultural and garden settings due to their role in aphid population control.
Steniolia
sand wasps
Steniolia is a genus of solitary sand wasps in the family Crabronidae, containing approximately 15 described species. All North American species are western in distribution, with four species extending only as far north as Mexico. Females are fossorial, constructing single-celled burrows in dry, powdery soil to provision with paralyzed flies. The genus is notable for ornate coloration, elongated mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding, and distinctive nightly sleeping clusters formed by both sexes.
Steniolia elegans
sand wasp
Steniolia elegans is a solitary sand wasp in the family Crabronidae. Females dig burrows in dry, powdery soil and provision them with paralyzed flies for their single offspring. The species exhibits progressive provisioning, with females repeatedly hunting and delivering prey throughout larval development. Both sexes form dense, spherical sleeping clusters at night where mating occurs.