''Argogorytes mystaceus'' is a species of solitary wasp in the family Crabronidae.
Distribution
This species has a
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa.
The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
distribution occurring in most European countries from
Ireland in the west
and east to
Siberia,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
Korea,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
; south to
Turkey.
Habitat
These wasps prefer deciduous woodland and hedge rows with sandy soil in sunny mountain areas with abundant flowering plants, at an elevation of over above sea level.
[Commanster]
/ref>
Description
''Argogorytes mystaceus'' can reach a length of in females, of in males. These medium-sized wasps have a black abdomen with a few yellow stripes and no petiole. In males antennae are very long. Mesothorax and scutellum are black. Legs are pale yellowish brown, with a black base.[Bohart, R.M. & Menke, A.S. 1976. Sphecid Wasps of the World: a Generic Revision. — Berkeley: Univ. California Press. — ix, 695 pp.]
Biology
Females of ''Argogorytes mystaceus'' usually visit Apiaceae flowers,[ wood spurge and honeydew on sweet chestnut leaves. Males are known to be pollinator of the flowers of ]fly orchid
''Ophrys insectifera'', the fly orchid, is a species of orchid and the type species of the genus ''Ophrys''. It is remarkable as an example of the use of sexually deceptive pollination and floral mimicry, as well as a highly selective and highly ...
s (mainly '' Ophrys insectifera'').[ The males of this species try to copulate ( pseudocopulation) with these specialized flowers, that mimic (]pouyannian mimicry
Pseudocopulation describes behaviors similar to copulation that serve a reproductive function for one or both participants but do not involve actual sexual union between the individuals. It is most generally applied to a pollinator attempting to c ...
) the shape and the scent of the females, with the purpose of deceiving them and thereby pollinate the flowers.[Howard Ensign EVANS, Kevin M. O'Neill, Howard Ensign Ev]
The Sand Wasps: natural history and behavior
/ref>
These solitary wasps nest in soil in dry banks. Larvae feed on larvae of small leafhopper
A leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family Cicadellidae. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and a ...
s and spittlebugs (mainly '' Philaenus'' and '' Aphrophora'' species). They fly in one generation from mid-May to mid-August. Among their natural enemies there are parasitoid wasps (especially Ichneumonidae larvae) and nest parasites ('' Nysson spinosus'').[
]
References
External links
''Argogorytes mystaceus'' images
at Consortium for the Barcode of Life
INPN
{{Taxonbar, from=Q916103
Crabronidae
Palearctic insects
Hymenoptera of Asia
Hymenoptera of Europe
Insects described in 1761
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus