Hymenoptera

Apocrita

Sphecoidea

Thread-waisted Wasps/Digger Wasps

The classification of Sphecoidea wasps has changed numerous times in the last 20 years. Recently, many authors decided to scrap the superfamily altogether and split all its former members into 2 families: Sphecidae and Crabronidae. Other authors consider even this is not going far enough and split the Crabronidae into another 6 separate families. Here, I am just sticking to the older more conservative classification until the experts reach some sort of consensus.

male Slender-bodied Digger Wasp (Crabro cribrarius) - Anglesey, Wales - July 2008

The strange plate-like structure on the forelegs of many male digger wasps are thought to act as secondary sexual organs that aid the male to keep hold of the female during mating.

female Slender-bodied Digger Wasp (Crabro cribrarius) - Anglesey, Wales - July 2008

Crabro cribarius stocks each nest hole it digs with several paralysed flies for its larvae to feed on.