Scoliid Wasp

The Scoliidae, the scoliid wasps, are a family of about 560 species found worldwide. They tend to be black, often marked with yellow or orange, and their wing tips are distinctively corrugated. Males are more slender and elongated than females, with significantly longer antennae, but the sexual dimorphism is not as apparent as in the Tiphiidae.

Biology

Scoliid wasps are solitary parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae. Female scoliids burrow into the ground in search of these larvae and then use their sting to paralyze them. They will sometimes excavate a chamber and move the paralyzed beetle larva into it before depositing an egg. Scoliid wasps act as important biocontrol agents, as many of the beetles they parasitize are pests, including the Japanese beetle. Male scoliids patrol territories, ready to mate with females emerging from the ground. Adult wasps may be minor pollinators of some plants and can be found on many wildflowers in the late summer.

Scoliidae also has at least one species known to engage in pseudocopulation with an orchid. Flowers of the orchid ''Bipinnula penicillata'' in subtropical South America resemble females of ''Pygodasis bistrimaculata'', tricking male wasps into attempting to mate and, in the process, provide pollination. Scoliids include some of the largest wasps in the world, such as ''Megascolia procer.''

Taxonomy

Living scoliidae genera are classified as follows:

Subfamily: Proscoliinae

*'' Proscolia'' Rasnitsyn 1977

Subfamily:

Scoliinae

Tribe:

Campsomerini

*'' Aelocampsomeris'' Bradley 1957
*'' Aureimeris'' Betrem, 1972
*'' Australelis'' Betrem, 1962
*''Campsomeriella'' Betrem, 1941
*''Campsomeris'' Lepeletier, 1838
*'' Cathimeris'' Betrem, 1972
*'' Charimeris'' Betrem, 1971
*'' Colpa'' Dufour, 1841
*'' Colpacampsomeris'' Betrem, 1967
*'' Crioscolia'' Bradley, 1951
*'' Dasyscolia'' Bradley, 1951
*''Dielis'' Saussure & Sichel, 1864
*'' Extrameris'' Betrem, 1972
*'' Guigliana'' Betrem, 1967
*'' Laevicampsomeris'' Betrem, 1933
*'' Leomeris'' Betrem, 1972
*'' Lissocampsomeris'' Bradley, 1957
*'' Megacampsomeris'' Betrem, 1928
*'' Megameris'' Betrem, 1967
*'' Micromeriella'' Betrem, 1972
*'' Peltatimeris'' Betrem, 1972
*'' Phalerimeris'' Betrem, 1967
*'' Pseudotrielis'' Betrem, 1928
*''Pygodasis'' Bradley, 1957
*'' Radumeris'' Betrem, 1962
*'' Rhabdotimeris'' Bradley, 1957
*'' Sericocampsomeris'' Betrem, 1941
*'' Sphenocampsomeris'' Bradley, 1957
*'' Stygocampsomeris'' Bradley, 1957
*'' Tenebromeris Betrem, 1963
*'' Trisciloa'' Gribodo, 1893
*'' Tristimeris'' Betrem, 1967
*'' Tubatimeris'' Betrem, 1972
*'' Tureimeris'' Betrem, 1972
*'' Xanthocampsomeris'' Bradley, 1957

Tribe:

Scoliini

*'' Austroscolia'' Betrem, 1927
*'' Carinoscolia'' Betrem, 1927
*'' Diliacos'' Saussure & Sichel, 1864
*'' Laeviscolia'' Betrem, 1928
*'' Liacos'' Guérin-Méneville, 1838
*''Megascolia'' Betrem, 1928
*'' Microscolia'' Betrem, 1928
*'' Mutilloscolia'' Bradley, 1959
*''Pyrrhoscolia'' Bradley, 1957
*'' Scolia'' Fabricius 1775
*''Triscolia'' de Saussure 1863

Subfamily † Archaeoscoliinae

The subfamily Archaeoscoliinae is known exclusively from the fossil record, with the largest diversity having lived during the Cretaceous (Barremian) before going extinct by the late Eocene (Priabonian).
*†'' Archaeoscolia''
**†'' Archaeoscolia hispanica''
**†'' Archaeoscolia senilis''
*†'' Cretoscolia''
**†'' Cretoscolia brasiliensis''
**†'' Cretoscolia conquensis''
**†'' Cretoscolia formosa''
**†'' Cretoscolia laiyangica''
**†'' Cretoscolia montsecana''
**†'' Cretoscolia patiens''
**†'' Cretoscolia promissiva''
**†'' Cretoscolia rasnitsyni''
*†'' Floriscolia''
**†'' Floriscolia relicta''
*†'' Protoscolia''
**†'' Protoscolia imperialis''
**†'' Protoscolia normalis''
**†'' Protoscolia sinensis''

Three additional undescribed specimens from the Ypresian Eocene Okanagan Highlands were referred to the subfamily by S. Bruce Archibald ''et al.'' (2018). The two fossils from the Klondike Mountain Formation of Northeastern Washington state, and one fossil from the Allenby Formation of South central British Columbia were mentioned briefly but no specific commentary on placement or finer taxonomic detail was presented in the paper.

History

In 1847 and 1849 Eduard Eversmann published his "Fauna Hymenopterologica Volgo-Uralensis—exhibiting the species of Hymenoptera which he observed and described in the provinces situated between the Volga river and the Ural mountains." He places the Scoliadae as a subfamily of the Sphegidae He mentions the genus ''Scolia'' , with 13 species, the genus ''Tiphia'' (3 species) and the genus ''Meria'' , with only the species ''Meria sexpunctata''. (families Tenthredinidae and Uroceratae) and (family Sphegidae)

North American species list

There are about 20 species in North America north of Mexico. Species include:

*'' Campsomeriella annulata'' (Fabricius 1793) (introduced species, no established population)
*'' Micromeriella marginella'' (Klug 1810) (introduced species, no established population)
*'' Colpa octomaculata'' (Say 1823) – eight-spotted scoliid wasp
*'' Colpa pollenifera'' (Viereck 1906)
*'' Crioscolia alcione'' (Banks 1917) – Halcyon scoliid wasp
*'' Crioscolia flammicoma'' (Bradley 1928)
*'' Dielis dorsata'' (Fabricius 1787) – Caribbean scoliid wasp
*'' Dielis pilipes'' (Saussure 1858) – hairy-footed scoliid wasp
*'' Dielis plumipes'' (Drury 1770) – feather-legged scoliid wasp
*'' Dielis tolteca'' (Saussure 1857) – Toltec scoliid wasp
*'' Dielis trifasciata'' (Fabricius 1793) – three-banded scoliid wasp
*''Pygodasis ephippium'' (Say 1837) – saddleback scoliid wasp
*''Pygodasis quadrimaculata'' (Fabricus 1775) – large four-spotted scoliid wasp
*''Scolia bicincta'' (Fabricius 1775) – double-banded scoliid wasp
*''Scolia dubia'' (Say 1837) – two-spotted scoliid wasp, blue-winged scoliid wasp
*'' Scolia guttata'' (Burmeister 1853)
*'' Scolia mexicana'' (Saussure 1858)
*'' Scolia nobilitata'' (Fabricius 1805) – noble scoliid wasp
*''Triscolia ardens'' (Smith 1855) – fire-tailed scoliid wasp
*'' Xanthocampsomeris completa'' (Rohwer 1927)
*'' Xanthocampsomeris fulvohirta'' (Cresson 1865)
*'' Xanthocampsomeris hesterae'' (Rohwer 1921)
*'' Xanthocampsomeris limosa'' (Burmeister 1853)

References

External links

Scoliid wasps of Florida.
University of Florida IFAS

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1144597

Apocrita families
Biological pest control wasps
Insects used as insect pest control agents