EUMENINAE
(MASON WASPS)
OF BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LABORATORY

Compiled by Allan W. Hook
Dept. of Zoology, UT- Austin, 3 June 1988
Determinations by James M. Carpenter
MCZ, Harvard University

Vespid wasps of the subfamily Eumeninae are commonly referred to as mason or potter wasps, because most of them use mud at some point in nest construction. Eumenines prey mainly upon moth larvae, although some take larvae of leaf-feeding beetles. Females oviposit in empty cells, and many species lay eggs that are suspended by a filament attached to the top or side of the cell. Cells are generally mass-provisioned (stocked before the egg hatches), although a few species practice progressive provisioning. At least one species (Synagris cornuta) presents macerated prey to its larvae, a feature that characterizes the more advanced vespids (e.g. Polistes, Vespula). Although eumenines do exhibit certain features generally associated with their more social relatives, the vast majority of them are strictly solitary, while a few appear be communal.

Choice of nesting substrate and nest construction is highly variable both within and between taxa. Most species use preexisting burrows, borings, and cavities located in the ground, dirt banks, twigs, stems, branches, logs, and even structural wood. Some species commonly reuse abandoned nests of mud-daubers (Sceliphron). Many species that readily accept preexisting burrows and borings are also capable of excavating their own burrows in soil, pithy stems or rotten wood. Some ground nesting species construct mud turrets that are attached to nest entrances, and either extend vertically or horizontally from the entrance. Other members construct aerial mud nests, often in the shape of pots, attached to vegetation or rocks. Some have wood fibers or pieces of licken encorporated into or covering these aerial nests. A few Zethus species build aerial nests made entirely of macerated leaves, plant fibers, and resins. This probably represents a major step in the evolution of nest type, as more advanced vespines make paper nests from plant fibers. Females are commonly collected at water and at soil sources of nest construction materials, whereas, males are found patrolling these areas in addition to flowers.

There are a number of cleptoparasites and parasites of eumenine wasps, with chrysidid wasps, mutillid wasps, and sarcophagid flies being most frequently reared from nests.

Presently, 13 genera encompassing 34 eumenine species are recorded from BFL, of these, 8 species are unknown biologically. Many of the others have been studied through the use of trap-nests (wood blocks with tunnels drilled in them), that are placed in the field (see Krombein et. al, 1967). These 34 species are listed below, including biological information when known. Species said to nest in burrows or borings means that these structures were already built when adopted by the wasps.

• 1. Dolichodynerus tanynotus (Cameron)

• 2. Stenodynerus anormis (Say)

• 3. Stenodynerus histrionalis (Robertson)

• 4. Stenodynerus microstictus (Viereck)

• 5. Stenodynerus propinquus (Saussure)

• 6. Parancistrocerus fulvipes (Saussure)

• 7. Parancistrocerus minimoferus (Bohart)

• 8. Parancistrocerus pedestris (Saussure)

• 9. Parancistrocerus perennis (Saussure)

• 10. Parancistrocerus rectangulis (Viereck)

• 11. Parancistrocerus vagus vagus (Saussure)

• 12. Euodynerus annulatus (Say)

• 13. Euodynerus barberi (Bohart)

• 14. Euodynerus boscii (Lepeletier)

• 15. Euodynerus castigatus (Saussure)

• 16. Euodynerus crypticus (Say)

• 17. Euodynerus foraminatus (Saussure)

• 18. Euodynerus hidalgo (Saussure)

• 19. Euodynerus megaera (Lepeletier)

• 20. Monobia quadridens (Linnaeus)

• 21. Pachodynerus nasidens (Latreille)

• 22. Pachodynerus praecox (Saussure)

• 23. Pseudodynerus quadrisectus (Say)

• 24. Paranortonia symmorphus (Saussure)

• 25. Ancistrocerus adiabatus (Saussure)

• 26. Ancistrocerus campestris (Saussure)

• 27. Ancistrocerus catskill (Saussure)

• 28. Ancistrocerus spinolae (Saussure)

• 29. Ancistrocerus unifasciatus (Saussure)

• 30. Symmorphus canadensis (Saussure)

• 31. Eumenes fraternus Say

• 32. Eumenes smithii Saussure

• 33. Zethus spinipes Say

• 34. Leptochilus bellulus (Cresson)

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