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Golden Digger Wasp

Lat. “Sphex funerarius“
species of family “Thread-waisted Wasps“
1 species

Sphex funerarius is a large, solitary, ground-nesting wasp found in southern and central parts of Europe and spread eastward to Central Asia. It has a length of 15-23 millimeters and is black with an orange-red band on the anterior abdomen. The females of this species dig a nest and store several grasshoppers in each brood chamber along with an egg. The larvae feed on these paralyzed insects, and after hatching, they take about 18 days to grow fully. The adults of Sphex funerarius fly in July and August and feed on the nectar of various flowers.

Description
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Sphex funerarius can reach a length of 15–23 millimetres (0.59–0.91 in). These large, solitary, ground-nesting wasps are black with an orange-red large band on the anterior abdomen. On the head and the body there is fine and thin hair. Wings are yellowish with darkened tops of the front wings.

Ecology and life cycle
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The larvae feed on living insects that the females paralyze and carry to the underground nest. The females of these digger wasps store several grasshoppers in a nest. They dig a 15 cm long corridor, with various brood chambers, in each of which one prey is stored with an egg. The preys are normally orthopteran insects, particularly nymphs of locusts or katydids. After three to four days, the eggs hatch and after another 18 days, the larvae are fully grown. Adults fly in July and August. They feed on the nectar of flowers (Apiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, etc.).

Distribution
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This species is present in southern and central parts of Europe and spread eastward to Central Asia.

References
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Menke, A.S. und Pulawski, W.J.(2000). A Review of the Sphex flavipennis Species Group — Journal of Hymenoptera Research: Vol. 9, No. 2: S. 324—346

Sphex funerarius is a large, solitary, ground-nesting wasp found in southern and central parts of Europe and spread eastward to Central Asia. It has a length of 15-23 millimeters and is black with an orange-red band on the anterior abdomen. The females of this species dig a nest and store several grasshoppers in each brood chamber along with an egg. The larvae feed on these paralyzed insects, and after hatching, they take about 18 days to grow fully. The adults of Sphex funerarius fly in July and August and feed on the nectar of various flowers.

Ancestry Graph

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Further Information

„Golden Digger Wasp“ on wikipedia.org
„Golden Digger Wasp“ on iNaturalist.org

Copyright

Wikipedia
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Sphex funerarius the free encyclopedia Wikipedia which is released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License). On Wikipedia a list of authors is available.