Cedar Creek
Natural History Area

Insects of Cedar Creek

Order HYMENOPTERA

Family TIPHIIDAE

(Tiphiid Wasps)

(Table of Species)

Members of this family (225 NA spp) are fair-sized, generally shiny black wasps, with triangular plates on their thoracic venters. The larvae of most are external parasites of soil inhabiting beetle grubs. Adult females do not construct nests and transport prey, but instead oviposit directly on the concealed grub??

The most commonly encountered genus is Tiphia. Perhaps six species are routinely collected in fair numbers from nearly all fields in late summer. These species are black, with a secondarily constricted abdomen and sharply pointed tip. The larvae are parasites of soil-inhabiting scarab grubs. Also in this family are three species of black-and-yellow Myzinum. They are most commonly collected on Solidago blooms in later summer. M. maculata is small and slender, M. collare is large with pale antennae, and M. quinquecinctum is large with dark antennae. These wasps are also parasites on soil-inhabiting scarab larvae. Methocha stygia is a parasite of tiger beetle larvae in their burrows. It has been taken from only a few fields.

jhaar@lter.umn.edu Last updated May, 2000