Ammophila (wasp)

Ammophila
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Sphecidae
Subfamily:	Ammophilinae
Genus:	Ammophila; W. Kirby, 1798
Type species
	Ammophila sabulosa; (Linnaeus, 1758)
Species
	Many (>200 species + subspecies)

Ammophila is the type genus of the subfamily Ammophilinae of the hunting wasp family Sphecidae. Ammophila is a large and cosmopolitan genus, with over 200 species, mostly occurring in the warmer regions of all continents apart from Antarctica.

Vernacular names[]

They sometimes are referred to as "thread-waisted wasps", but the name is not definitive, because many other members of the Sphecidae are thread-waisted, too, and referred to as such. Sometimes Ammophiline wasps are referred to as "sand wasps"; this may be better because it is consistent with the name Ammophila, which derives from the Greek for "sand lover", presumably because many species dig their nests in sand. However, as is frequent in dealing with common names, no definitive common name for the Ammophilinae exists; entomologists usually confine themselves to the technical names for convenience and clarity.

Morphology and habits[]

As is frequent in large genera, considerable variation occurs in their habits and appearance, but predominantly they are medium-sized wasps of strikingly slender build, with antennae about as long as the head plus thorax.

The jaws are not large, but are strong and apart from feeding and digging, often are used for unexpected functions such as holding a pebble with which the wasp hammers down soil to seal a nest,^[2] or to grip the stem of a plant at night, holding its body at right-angles to the stem, its legs folded and all the weight taken up by the mandibles. This habit is not unique to the Ammophilinae — some bees, such as Amegilla, also overnight in that way, and Fabre documented some others.^[3]

Ammophila with a captured caterpillar

Nesting[]

Nesting is generally by digging an unbranched tunnel in sandy soil, but provisioning can be progressive, the mother bringing prey as the larva requires it, or mass provisioning, where each nest is provided with a single large prey item,^[4] or as many small prey items as should be required.^[2] Prey selection depends on the species available but mostly moth and sawfly caterpillars are chosen.^{[citation needed]}

Species[]

Play media

Ammophila heydeni

Listed alphabetically:^[1]

Ammophila aberti Haldeman, 1852
(Fernald, 1934)
Kohl, 1901
Menke, 1966
Balthasar, 1957
Morice, 1900
Gussakovskij, 1930
Danilov, 2018^[5]
Ammophila aphrodite Menke, 1964
Guérin-Méneville, 1835
W.F. Kirby, 1900
F. Smith, 1868
Walker, 1871
Arnold, 1951
Tsuneki, 1976
Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
Tsuneki, 1971
Kohl, 1901
F. Smith, 1852
Menke, 1966
R. Turner, 1908
Ammophila azteca Cameron, 1888
(Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845)
Arnold, 1951
Danilov, 2015^[6]
F. Smith, 1856
(R. Turner, 1929)
Menke, 1966
Menke, 1964
(Palisot de Beauvois, 1806)
Menke, 1964
Lepeletier, 1845
Li and C. Yang, 1990
(R. Turner, 1919)
F. Smith, 1856
Bingham, 1897
Menke, 1964
(Arnold, 1920)
Latreille, 1809
Arnold, 1951
Gussakovskij, 1930
Cameron, 1888
(Fabricius, 1775)
Menke, 1964
Li and C. Yang, 1990
Menke, 1966
F. Smith, 1856
A. Costa, 1864
(Arnold, 1920)
Cameron, 1888
A. Costa, 1864
(R. Turner, 1919)
Menke, 1970
Roth in Nadig, 1933
Cameron, 1888
Gussakovskij, 1928
Tsuneki, 1971
de Beaumont, 1956
Cameron, 1910
Kohl, 1884
Kohl, 1901
Menke, 1966
Fischer de Waldheim, 1843
Kohl, 1901
Menke, 1964
Kohl, 1906
Cresson, 1865
R. Turner, 1908
Ammophila femurrubra W. Fox, 1894
(Murray, 1938)
Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
Ammophila ferruginosa Cresson, 1865
Walker, 1871
Menke, 1964
Tsuneki, 1971
Yang and Li, 1989
Cameron, 1888
Li and Ch. Yang, 1995
Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
Taschenberg, 1869
de Beaumont, 1956
Kohl, 1884
(Fernald, 1931)
Kohl, 1906
Menke, 1966
Li and Xue, 1998
Menke, 2004
Dahlbom, 1845
(Fabricius, 1793)
Alfieri, 1946
von Schulthess, 1927
Mocsáry, 1883
Menke, 1964
Kazenas, 2001
Menke, 1966
Kohl, 1901
F. Smith, 1873
F. Smith, 1856
F. Smith, 1858
F. Smith, 1856
Ammophila juncea Cresson, 1865
(Arnold, 1935)
Menke, 1964
(Murray, 1938)
Danilov, 2018^[7]
Taschenberg, 1880
Olszewski and Danilov, 2020^[8]
F. Smith, 1873
Ed. André, 1886
F. Smith, 1856
Strand, 1910
(Arnold, 1928)
Gussakovskij, 1928
Menke, 1964
(Fernald, 1934)
Cresson, 1865
Menke, 1964
Menke, 1964
Cresson, 1865
Li and Ch. Yang, 1989
Kazenas, 1980
Menke, 1966
Menke, 1966
Alfieri, 1961
Mocsáry, 1883
Menke, 1967
Menke, 1966
Tsuneki, 1971
Menke, 1964
Menke, 2007
Provancher, 1895
Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
Kohl, 1889
Menke, 1964
Danilov, 2018^[9]
Ammophila nigricans Dahlbom, 1843
Fischer de Waldheim, 1834
(Fernald, 1934)
Yang and Li, 1989
Bischoff, 1912
F. Morawitz, 1890
Yang and Li, 1989
(Fernald, 1934)
Menke, 1964
(Fernald, 1934)
(Arnold, 1928)
Danilov, 2015^[10]
Nurse, 1903
Cameron, 1888
Ammophila pictipennis Walsh, 1869
Cameron, 1912
Ammophila placida F. Smith, 1856
Li and C. Yang, 1990
Brèthes, 1909
Morice, 1900
Cresson, 1865
Ammophila procera Dahlbom, 1843
Morice, 1900
(F. Smith, 1856)
Cresson, 1865
Li and He, 2000
Bytinski-Salz in de Beaumont and Bytinski-Salz, 1955
Curtis, 1836
Tsuneki, 1971
F. Smith, 1856
(Arnold, 1920)
Guichard, 1988
Menke, 1964
Kohl, 1906
Li and C. Yang, 1990
Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845
Spinola, 1839
F. Morawitz, 1890
Spinola, 1851
Guérin-Méneville, 1831
Gussakovskij, 1930
Ammophila sabulosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
Balthasar, 1957
Kohl, 1884
(, 1897)
F. Morawitz, 1891
Menke, 1967
Kohl, 1901
Kirkbride, 1982
Sickmann, 1894
Gussakovskij, 1934
F. Smith, 1856
Menke, 1964
Cresson, 1865
Mocsáry, 1878
Kohl, 1906
Strand, 1913
Gussakovskij, 1930
F. Smith, 1856
Ed. André, 1886
Menke in Bohart and Menke, 1976
Turner, 1919
Cameron, 1890
Menke, 1966
Yang and Li, 1989
Ammophila urnaria Dahlbom, 1843
F. Smith, 1856
Cresson, 1865
Li and C. Yang in Li, Li and Yang, 1994
, 1897
Dahlbom, 1845
Ammophila wrightii (Cresson, 1868)
Li and C. Yang, 1989
Danilov, 2018^[11]
Cameron, 1888

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Ammophila". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Peckham, George W, Peckham, Elizabeth G.; Wasps, Social and Solitary, Pub. Constable 1905
^ Fabre, Jean-Henri; The wonders of instinct; Pub: Century, New York 1918
^ Barbara J. Hager and Frank E. Kurczewski; Nesting Behavior of Ammophila harti (Fernald) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae); American Midland Naturalist Vol. 116, No. 1 (Jul., 1986); Pub: University of Notre Dame
^ Danilov, Yuriy N. (2018-08-08). "Four new species of the digger wasp genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 4457 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4457.2.9.
^ Danilov, Yuriy N. (2015-06-05). "New and little known digger wasps of the genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 3964 (5). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3964.5.3.
^ Danilov, Yuriy N. (2018-08-08). "Four new species of the digger wasp genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 4457 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4457.2.9.
^ Olszewski, Piotr; Danilov, Yuriy N. (2020-11-12). "New species and records of the genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)". Zootaxa. 4878 (1). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4878.1.10.
^ Danilov, Yuriy N. (2018-08-08). "Four new species of the digger wasp genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 4457 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4457.2.9.
^ Danilov, Yuriy N. (2015-06-05). "New and little known digger wasps of the genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 3964 (5). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3964.5.3.
^ Danilov, Yuriy N. (2018-08-08). "Four new species of the digger wasp genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 4457 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4457.2.9.

External links[]

Media related to Ammophila at Wikimedia Commons

[ReferenceA-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Ammophila". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

[Peckh-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b Peckham, George W, Peckham, Elizabeth G.; Wasps, Social and Solitary, Pub. Constable 1905

[FWOI-3] Fabre, Jean-Henri; The wonders of instinct; Pub: Century, New York 1918

[4] Barbara J. Hager and Frank E. Kurczewski; Nesting Behavior of Ammophila harti (Fernald) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae); American Midland Naturalist Vol. 116, No. 1 (Jul., 1986); Pub: University of Notre Dame

[5] Danilov, Yuriy N. (2018-08-08). "Four new species of the digger wasp genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 4457 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4457.2.9.

[6] Danilov, Yuriy N. (2015-06-05). "New and little known digger wasps of the genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 3964 (5). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3964.5.3.

[7] Danilov, Yuriy N. (2018-08-08). "Four new species of the digger wasp genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 4457 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4457.2.9.

[8] Olszewski, Piotr; Danilov, Yuriy N. (2020-11-12). "New species and records of the genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)". Zootaxa. 4878 (1). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4878.1.10.

[9] Danilov, Yuriy N. (2018-08-08). "Four new species of the digger wasp genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 4457 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4457.2.9.

[10] Danilov, Yuriy N. (2015-06-05). "New and little known digger wasps of the genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 3964 (5). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3964.5.3.

[11] Danilov, Yuriy N. (2018-08-08). "Four new species of the digger wasp genus Ammophila W. Kirby, 1798 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) from Central Asia". Zootaxa. 4457 (2). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4457.2.9.

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