Tandem-mating
Guides
Eremnophila
thread-waisted wasps
Eremnophila is a genus of solitary thread-waisted wasps in the family Sphecidae, comprising approximately nine described species distributed primarily across the Americas. These wasps are specialized caterpillar hunters that provision subterranean nests with paralyzed prey for their larvae. Adults are frequent flower visitors, particularly to spotted horsemint (Monarda punctata), goldenrods, and other late-summer asters. A distinctive behavioral trait involves prolonged tandem mating, where males grasp females by the neck and accompany them during foraging activities.