Pemphredonidae


Pemphredonidae is a family of aphid wasps formerly treated as the subfamily Pemphredoninae. There are 19 genera and 556 described species in the family.

Description and identification

The primary morphological distinction between the Pemphredonidae and the Psenidae is that Pemphredonidae never have more than two submarginal cells in their forewing while Psenidae have three submarginal cells.

Biology

The subfamily consists of solitary wasps, each genus having its own distinct and consistent prey preferences. The adult females dig tunnels in the ground, or plant material, for nesting. As with all other apoid wasps, the larvae are carnivorous; females hunt for prey on which to lay their eggs, mass provisioning the nest cells with paralyzed, living prey that the larvae feed upon after hatching from the egg.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

As Pemphredoninae, this taxon was previously divided into four tribes: Entomosericini, Odontosphecini, Psenini, and Pemphredonini. The Pemphredonini were considered to have by far the largest number of species. Phylogenetic analyses to resolve the paraphyly of Crabronidae through erecting additional families also found the Pemphredoninae to be polyphyletic. As a result, more recent classifications treat Psenidae as a separate family, and sister to the newly-erected family Ammoplanidae. Ammoplanidae is also rendered as the most sister family to the bees. The Pemphredonidae is instead sister taxon to the Philanthidae. In continued revision, Entomosericini has also been elevated to family status as Entomosericidae.

Genera

The Pemphredonidae are restricted to the former subtribes Pemphredonina, Spilomenina, and Stigmina, which now are treated as subfamilies.
Pemphredoninae
  • Diodontus
  • Passaloecus
  • Pemphredon
  • Polemistus
Spilomeninae
  • Arpactophilus
  • Microstigmus
  • Spilomena
  • Xysma
Stigminae
  • Allostigmus
  • Araucastigmus
  • Aykhustigmus
  • Carinostigmus
  • Ceratostigmus
  • Incastigmus
  • Llaqhastigmus
  • Paracrabro
  • Parastigmus
  • Stigmus
  • ''Tzustigmus''

    Transferred to Ammoplaninidae

Ten genera of Ammoplanina now comprise the family Ammoplaninidae. This transfer includes 137 species.
  • Ammoplanellus
  • Ammoplanops
  • Ammoplanus
  • Ammostigmus
  • Mohavena
  • Parammoplanus
  • Protostigmus
  • Pulverro
  • Riparena
  • ''Timberlakena''

    Transferred to Entomosericidae

A single genus of Entomosericini now comprises the Entomosericidae. This transfer includes 3 species.
  • ''Entomosericus''

    Transferred to Psenidae

One genus of Odontosphecini and 11 genera of Psenini now comprise the family Psenidae. This transfer includes 485 species.
  • Ammopsen
  • Deinomimesa
  • Lithium
  • Mimesa
  • Mimumesa
  • Nesomimesa
  • Odontopsen
  • Odontosphex
  • Pluto
  • Psen
  • Pseneo
  • ''Psenulus''

    Transferred to Angarosphecidae

Two fossil wasp genera from the Weald Clay were originally considered to possibly be in the Pemphredoninae. They are currently classified among the 15 genera of the extinct family, Angarosphecidae.
  • †Archisphex
  • †''Angarosphex''