Burrowing wasps

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These insects vary in size and have the characteristic thin size of wasps . They are all able to sting with a sting located at the end of their abdomen and hunt alone.

The larvae do not have legs.

Crabronids were recently included in the Sphecid family , wasps quite similar in appearance and behavior. Crabronids are now considered a family in their own right.

What you need to know

This family has about 8,800 species divided into 240 genera around the world.

The larva feeds on a wide variety of preys captured by the female. Preys are paralyzed by venom injected with a sting, a modified egg-laying (ovipositor) organ.

Some wasps belonging to the philanthine subfamily nest in groups and show the beginnings of a division of labor.

There are two common species in Quebec belonging to the crabronid family. This is the bicyrtes wasp and Bembex of America .

Life cycle

After mating, the female builds her nest in the sand and then captures insects or spiders that she paralyzes with her venom. It transports them to the nest, then lays its eggs on the prey which will serve as food for the larvae.

Some species are kleptoparasites: females use the nest of another wasp and lay eggs on preys already captured. They abandon their eggs and take no care of their larvae.

Habitat

Several species make their nests in the ground, some in pre-existing cavities or in stems while others make it with mud and shape it into a tube.

Food

The prey captured not adults cover a wide variety of orders of insects, spiders and mainly the order of the Araneae .

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