The genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Cerceris of the subfamilly Philanthinae

Philanthinae

The subfamilly Philanthinae is one of the largest groups in the wasp family Crabronidae, even though it contains only 9 genera. Historically, this subfamily has frequently been accorded family status. The subfamily consists of solitary, predatory wasps, each genus having its own distinct and...

 is in the family Crabronidae

Crabronidae

Crabronidae is a large family of wasps, that includes nearly all of the species formerly comprising the now-defunct superfamily Sphecoidea. It collectively includes well over 200 genera, containing well over 9000 species. Crabronids were originally a part of Sphecidae, but the latter name is now...

. This is the largest genus in the family, with over 1000 described species and numerous more undescribed. The genus consists of solitary, predatory wasps, most of which prey on beetle

Beetle

Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...

s. The adult females dig tunnels in the ground for nesting.

As with all other sphecoid wasps, the larvae are carnivorous; females hunt for prey on which to lays their eggs

Egg (biology)

An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...

, supplying the larvae with paralyzed, living prey when they emerge.

They are notable in that the faces of the females are frequently modified with unusual projections on the clypeus

Clypeus

The clypeus is one of the sclerites that makes up the "face" of an arthropod.In insects, the clypeus delimits the lower margin of the face, with the labrum articulated along the ventral margin of the clypeus. The mandibles bracket the labrum, but do not touch the clypeus. The dorsal margin of the...

 and the clypeal margin; these can vary from simple conical bulges to elongated curving "horns". Paralyzed prey are carried in the females' mandible

Mandible

The mandible pronunciation or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place...

s, which are somewhat elongated and tend to have prominent teeth, often with species-specific shapes. The abdominal segments are also constricted very strongly at the junctures, giving the abdomen a somewhat corrugated, accordion

Accordion

The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....

-like appearance.

External links

• Hymis.de Photographs