Crabronidae

Crabronidae
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Tachysphex sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Suborder:	Apocrita
Superfamily:	Apoidea
Family:	Crabronidae Latreille, 1802
Subfamilies
Astatinae Bembicinae Crabroninae Mellininae Pemphredoninae Philanthinae

The Crabronidae are a large paraphyletic group (nominally a family) of wasps, including 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 restricted to a separate family based on what was once the subfamily Sphecinae. As this change is very recent, the subfamilies of Crabronidae likely will each eventually be treated as families in their own right, as they have been treated as such by many authorities in the past (as in the catalog linked below).

Phylogeny

This cladogram is based on Debevic et al, 2012, which used molecular phylogeny to demonstrate that the bees (Anthophila) arose from deep within the Crabronidae, which is therefore paraphyletic. The Heterogynaidae are also broken up. The small subfamily Mellininae was not included in their analysis.

Apoidea	Ampulicidae "Heterogynaidae" (part) Sphecidae (sensu stricto) Crabroninae (part of "Crabronidae") (rest of "Crabronidae") Bembicini Nyssonini, Astatinae "Heterogynaidae" (part) Pemphredoninae, Philanthinae Anthophila (bees)

Subgroups

• Subfamily Astatinae (including Dinetinae)
  • Astata, etc.
• Subfamily Bembicinae
  • Tribe Alyssontini
  • Tribe Bembicini
    • Bembix Fabricius 1775
    • Zyzzyx Pate 1937, etc.
  • Tribe Gorytini
    • Gorytes Latreille, 1804
    • Sphecius, etc.
  • Tribe Heliocausini
  • Tribe Nyssonini
  • Tribe Stizini
• Subfamily Crabroninae (incl. Eremiaspheciinae)
  • Crabro
  • Aha
  • Dalara
  • Pison, etc.
• Subfamily Mellininae
  • Mellinus
  • Xenosphex
• Subfamily Pemphredoninae
  • Microstigmus
  • Lithium
  • Pemphredon, etc.
• Subfamily Philanthinae
  • Cerceris
  • Philanthus, etc.

Sand wasp in its habitat, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Sources

• Catalog of Sphecidae sensu lato at Cal Academy

External links

• Image Gallery from Gembloux
• Larra spp., mole cricket hunters on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site