The Tiphiidae (also known as the tiphiid wasps) are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of large, solitary
wasp
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
s whose larvae are
parasitoid
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...
s of various
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
larvae, especially those in the superfamily
Scarabaeoidea
Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year. Its constituent families are also undergoing r ...
. Until recently, this family contained several additional subfamilies, but multiple studies have independently confirmed that these comprise a separate lineage, and are now classified in the family
Thynnidae
The Thynnidae (also known as thynnid wasps or flower wasps) are a family of large, solitary wasps whose larvae are almost universally parasitoids of various beetle larvae, especially those in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. Until recently, the con ...
.
The females of some
Brachycistidinae
Brachycistidinae is a subfamily of the flower wasp family Tiphiidae that contains 10 genera and 85 species, and which is confined to the Nearctic zoogeographic region.
Distinguishing Characters
The wasps in the subfamily Brachycistidinae are d ...
are wingless, and hunt ground-dwelling (
fossorial
A fossorial () animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, meerkats, and mole salamanders, as well as many beetles, wasps, and bees.
Prehistoric eviden ...
) beetle larvae. The prey is paralysed with the female's sting, and an egg is lain on it so the wasp larva has a ready supply of food. As some of the ground-dwelling scarab species attacked by tiphiids are pests, some of these wasps are considered beneficial as
biological control agents.
Taxonomy
Tiphiid genera are classified as follows:
Subfamily
Brachycistidinae
Brachycistidinae is a subfamily of the flower wasp family Tiphiidae that contains 10 genera and 85 species, and which is confined to the Nearctic zoogeographic region.
Distinguishing Characters
The wasps in the subfamily Brachycistidinae are d ...
*''
Acanthetropis''
Wasbauer, 1958
*''
Brachycistellus''
Baker, 1907
*''
Brachycistina''
Malloch, 1926
*''
Brachycistis''
Fox, 1893
*''
Brachymaya''
Kimsey & Wasbauer 1999
*''
Colocistis''
Krombein, 1942
*''
Dolichetropis''
Wasbauer, 1968
*''
Glyptacros''
Mickel & Krombein, 1942
*''
Hadrocistis''
Wasbauer, 1968
*''
Paraquemaya''
Kimsey & Wasbauer, 1999
*''
Sedomaya''
Kimsey & Wasbauer, 1999
*''
Stilbopogon''
Mickel & Krombein, 1942
Subfamily
Tiphiinae
Tiphiinae is one of the two subfamilies of the flower wasp family Tiphiidae, the other being the Nearctic Brachycistidinae. It is the larger of the two and has a worldwide distribution.
Characteristics
Tiphiinae are small to medium sized solitar ...
*''
Cabaraxa''
Nagy, 1974
*''
Cyanotiphia''
Cameron, 1907
*''
Epomidiopteron''
Romand, 1835
*''
Icronatha''
Nagy, 1967
*''
Krombeinia''
Pate, 1947
*''
Ludita''
Nagy, 1967
*''
Mallochessa''
Allen, 1972
*''
Megatiphia''
Kimsey, 1993
*''
Neotiphia''
Malloch, 1918
*''
Paratiphia''
Sichel, 1864
*''
Pseudotiphia''
Ashmead 1903
*''
Tiphia
''Tiphia'' is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Tiphiidae subfamily Tiphiinae. They feed on soil-inhabiting scarab beetle larvae.
The species ''Tiphia vernalis'' (Spring Tiphia) has been introduced in the United States from Korea and Chi ...
''
Fabricius, 1775
Examples
*''
Tiphia femorata''
Linden 1827
*''
Tiphia minuta
''Tiphia minuta '' is a Palearctic species of tiphiid wasp.Edward Saunders Edward Saunders may refer to:
*Edward W. Saunders (1860–1921), Virginian politician
*Edward Saunders (judge) (died 1576), British judge
*Edward Saunders (entomologist ...
''
Fabricius, 1775
References
Further reading
* Arnett, R. H. Jr. (2000) Segunda edición. ''American insects''. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Londres,New York, Washington, D. C.
* Borror, D. J., DeLong, D. M., Triplehorn, C. A.(1976) cuarta edición. ''An introduction to the study of insects''. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. New York, Chicago.
Bugguide.net. Family Tiphiidae - Tiphiid Wasps
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1933372
Apocrita families
Insects used as insect pest control agents