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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 Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...
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 ''Dasyscolia ciliata'' is a species of scoliid wasp found throughout the Mediterranean. It is the only species in the genus ''Dasycolia''. It is the only known pollinator of the European ''Ophrys speculum''. The male wasp is tricked into pollinat ...
'' 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 ''Xanthocampsomeris'' is a New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. ...
'' Bradley, 1957


Tribe: Scoliini

*''
Austroscolia ''Austroscolia'' is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Scoliidae, subfamily Scoliinae. It was formerly classified as a subgenus of ''Scolia (wasp), Scolia''. Species The following species are included in ''Austroscolia'': * ''Austroscolia ...
'' Betrem, 1927 *'' Carinoscolia'' Betrem, 1927 *'' Diliacos'' Saussure & Sichel, 1864 *'' Laeviscolia'' Betrem, 1928 *'' Liacos'' Guérin-Méneville, 1838 *''
Megascolia ''Megascolia'' is a genus of large solitary wasps from the family Scoliidae, the species classified under ''Megascolia'' include some of the world's largest wasps. They are parasitoids of large Scarabeid beetles such as the European rhinoceros ...
'' 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 The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
( Barremian) before going extinct by the late
Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
( 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 Alexander Eduard Friedrich Eversmann (23 January 1794 – 14 April 1860) was a Prussian biologist and explorer. Eversmann was born in Westphalia and studied at the universities of Marburg, Halle, Berlin and Dorpat. He received his degree of Phil ...
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 ''Dielis dorsata'', the Caribbean scoliid wasp, is a species of 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 ...
'' (Fabricius 1787) – Caribbean scoliid wasp *''
Dielis pilipes ''Dielis pilipes'', the hairy-footed scoliid wasp, is a species of 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 ...
'' (Saussure 1858) – hairy-footed scoliid wasp *''
Dielis plumipes ''Dielis plumipes'', the feather-legged scoliid wasp, is a species of 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 ti ...
'' (Drury 1770) – feather-legged scoliid wasp *''
Dielis tolteca ''Dielis'' is a New World genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps. Species Species within this genus include: *''Dielis auripilis'' (Fox, 1896) *''Dielis bahamensis'' (Bradley, 1964) *'' Dielis dorsata'' (Bradley, 1940) ...
'' (Saussure 1857) – Toltec scoliid wasp *''
Dielis trifasciata ''Dielis trifasciata'', also known as the three-banded scoliid wasp is a species of the family Scoliidae (scoliid wasps). Description ''Dielis trifasciata'' can reach a length of . These wasps show yellow bands on the three anterior abdominal ...
'' (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 Scolia may refer to: * ''Scolia'' (wasp), a genus in the family Scoliidae * Skolion (pl. skolia or scolia), a song sung by invited guests at banquets in ancient Greece See also * Scholia, marginal commentaries in the manuscripts of ancient ...
'' (Burmeister 1853) *''
Scolia mexicana Scolia may refer to: * ''Scolia'' (wasp), a genus in the family Scoliidae * Skolion (pl. skolia or scolia), a song sung by invited guests at banquets in ancient Greece See also * Scholia, marginal commentaries in the manuscripts of ancient ...
'' (Saussure 1858) *'' Scolia nobilitata'' (Fabricius 1805) – noble scoliid wasp *''
Triscolia ardens ''Triscolia ardens'' is a species of wasp in the family Scoliidae. It is the sole member of its genus found in North America.Bug Eric: Wasp Wednesday, ''Triscolia ardens''. http://bugeric.blogspot.com/2011/09/wasp-wednesday-triscolia-ardens.html ...
'' (Smith 1855) – fire-tailed scoliid wasp *''
Xanthocampsomeris completa ''Xanthocampsomeris'' is a New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. ...
'' (Rohwer 1927) *''
Xanthocampsomeris fulvohirta ''Xanthocampsomeris'' is a New World genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps. Species Species within this genus include: *''Xanthocampsomeris completa ''Xanthocampsomeris'' is a New World The term ''New World'' ...
'' (Cresson 1865) *''
Xanthocampsomeris hesterae ''Xanthocampsomeris'' is a New World genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps. Species Species within this genus include: *''Xanthocampsomeris completa'' (Rohwer, 1927) *''Xanthocampsomeris fulvohirta ''Xanthocampsom ...
'' (Rohwer 1921) *''
Xanthocampsomeris limosa ''Xanthocampsomeris'' is a New World genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps. Species Species within this genus include: *''Xanthocampsomeris completa'' (Rohwer, 1927) *''Xanthocampsomeris fulvohirta'' (Cresson, 1865) ...
'' (Burmeister 1853)


References


External links


Scoliid wasps of Florida.
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
IFAS IFAS may refer: * Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences * Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge, a sewage treatment process * International French adjectival system In rock climbing, mountaineering, and other climbing disciplines, clim ...
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1144597 Apocrita families Biological pest control wasps Insects used as insect pest control agents