Lyroda subita, a sphecid that ordinarily stocks its cells with Gryllidae, is reported provisioning a two-celled nest in upstate New York with Tridactylidae. The structure of the nest, depth of celis, stages of wasps, and degree of paralysis of the prey are described

Kurczewski, Frank E

Spofford, Margery G

English

Valparaiso University

The Great Lakes Entomologist Volume 18 Number 3 - Fall 1985 Number 3 - Fall 1985 Article 5 October 1985 A New Host Family for Lyroda Subita (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) Frank E. Kurczewski College of Environmental Science and Forestry Margery G. Spofford College of Environmental Science and Forestry Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle  Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Kurczewski, Frank E. and Spofford, Margery G. 1985. "A New Host Family for Lyroda Subita (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 18 (3) Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol18/iss3/5 This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 1985 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 113 A NEW HOST FAMILY FOR LYRODA SUBITA (HYMENOPTERA: SPHECIDAE) Frank E. Kurczewski and Margery G. Spofford I ABSTRACT Lyroda subita, a sphecid that ordinarily stocks its cells with Gryllidae, is reported provisioning a two-celled nest in up ate New York with Tridactylidae. The structure of the nest, depth of celis, stages of wasps, and degree of paralysis of the prey are described. In 1984 Evans and Hook reported on an undescribed species of Lyroda from Australia that preys upon Tridactylidae. This record is remarkable because species of Lyroda ordinarily capture Gryliidae (Evans 1964, Kurczewski and Peckham 1982) or Tetrigidae (Iwata 1938, 1963, 1964; Tsuneki and Iida 1969). Furthermore the hunting components of sphecids that capture Tridactylidae are unique (Krombein and KurCl~wski 1963, Kurczewski 1966a, Kurczewski and Kurczewski 1984), and such a tridactylid-hunting species of Lyroda would have to alter its manner of searching for prey in contrast to the more basic prey searching components exhibited by the gryllid- and tetrigid-hunting species. Previously only two genera of Sphecidae, Tachytes and Gastrosericus, both in the subfamily Larrinae, were known to contain species that prey upon Tridactylidae (summary in Bohart and Menke [1976]), and now another larrine genus, Lyroda, represents a third. On 20 July 1984, in a man-made sand pit near Owasco Lake on the outskirts of Auburn, Cayuga County, New York we were astonished to observe a female of Lyroda subita (Say) provisioning with Tridactylidae. The wasp with prey flew into an abandoned Cerceris jumipennis Say entrance. The burrow was traced obliquely downward to a depth of 7 cm. A few centimeters to the side at a depth of 10 cm we found two fully-provisioned cells of L. subita separated by 2-3 cm of sand. The oldest cell contained a large larva and the remains of several Tridactylidae. The most recent cell held a small larva and four adult Neotridactylus apicialis (Say) (det. L J. Cantrall, Museum of Zoology, The University of Michigan). The pygmy mole-crickets were rather thoroughly paralyzed in contrast to stored prey of Tachytes intermedius (Viereck) and T. mergus (Fox) which often leap from the cell when unearthed (Krombein and Kurczewski 1963, Kurczewski and Kurczewski 1984). Because L. subita is a larger species it may inject relatively more venom into its small prey. The use of Tridactylidae as prey by L. subita is surprising when one considers that this sphecid has been studied in some detail by Patton (1892), Peckham and Peckham (1898), Evans (1964) and Kurczewski and Peckham (1982), and, in all cases, the prey comprised Gryllidae. Kurczewski and Peckham (1982), for example, recorded 67 individual gryliid prey in their study on L. subita. In our current study of sphecid wasps and their c1eptoparasitic miltogrammine flies we have observed an additional 65 gryllid prey items from L. subita cells and provisioning females. The use of atypical prey by species of solitary wasps is indeed a rarity. Evans's (1948) record of Anoplius marginatus (Say) (Pompilidae) capturing a harvestman and Kurczewski's (1966b) observation of Tachysphex terminatus (Smith) (Sphecidae) storing false katydids exemplify the capture of atypical prey by common, well-studied species of lDepartment of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Syracuse, NY 13210. 1Kurczewski and Spofford: A New Host Family for <i>Lyroda Subita</i> (Hymenoptera: SphecidaPublished by ValpoScholar, 1985114 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vo!. 18, No.3 wasps. Kurczewski (1966b) attributed the use of false katydids, instead of the usual acridid prey, to a scarcity of grasshopper nymphs of suitable size at a particular time of year. One record f Ammophi/ia azteca Cameron, a species which usually uses lepidop­terous and sawfly larvae, storing larval weevils is also exceptional (Evans 1965). Evans believed that caterpillars are the' 'preferred" prey of A. azteca but that sawfuly or, rarely, weevil larvae may be taken when caterpillars are in "short supply." According to Evans (1963), wasps do not normally "make mistakes" in capturing prey. The prey taken by a wasp may vary over time from cell to cell, indicating that one source of prey has been exhausted and another has been found, but a sudden drastic switch to an atypical family of prey is highly unusual. The reason for the female of L. subifa storing Tridactylidae is unknown but this observation is certainly unique in view of the fact that 14 conspecifics nesting at this locality preyed entirely upon gryllids and that both adult and nymphal gryllids were plentiful under fallen bark, in cavitics in the soil, and in grasses at the edge of a field. The L. subifa female probably unearthed the pygmy mole-crickets; exactly how remains a mystery. Did she excavate them with her mandibles in the manner of Tachytes intermedius and T. mergus, or did she obtain them in some other way? Perhaps the answer will never be known in view of this rare occurence. LITERATURE CITED Bohart, R. M. and A S. Menke. 1976. Sphecid wasps of the world. A generic revision. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. ix + 695 pp. Evans, H. E. 1948. Biological notes on two species of Anoplius (Hymenoptera: Pompil­idae). Entomol. News 59: 180-184. 1963. Predatory wasps. Sci. Amer. 208:145-154. 1964. The classification and evolution of digger wasps as suggested by larval characters. Entomol. News 75:225-237. __. 1965. Simultaneous care of more than one nest by Ammophila azteca Cameron. Psyche 72:8-23. Evans, H. E. and A. W. Hook. 1984. Nesting behaviour of a Lyroda predator (Hyme­noptera: Sphecidae) of Tridactylus (Orthoptera: Tridactylidae). Australian Entomol. Mag. 11: 16-18. [wata, K. 1938. On the habits of some Larridae in Japan. Kontyu 12: 1-13. 1963. Miscellaneous biological notes on aculeate Hymenoptera in Kagawa in the years of 1948 and 1949. Trans. Shikoku Entomol. Soc. 7:114-118. __. 1964. Bionomics of non-social wasps in Thailand. Nat. Life Southeast Asia 3:323-383. Krombein, K. V. and F. E. Kurczewski. 1963. Biological notes on three Floridian wasps (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae). Proc. Bio!. Soc. Washington 76:139-152. Kurczewski, F. E. 1966a. Behavioral notes on two species of Tachytes that hunt pygmy mole-crickets (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae, Larrinae). 1. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 39:147-155. __. 1966b. Tachysphex terminatus preying on Tettigoniidae-an unusual record (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae, Larrinae). Ibid. 39:317-322. Kurczewski, F. E. and E. J. Kurczewski. 1984. Mating and nesting behavior of Tachytes intermedius (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 86:176-184. Kurczewski, F. E. and D. J. Peckham. 1982. Nesting behavior of Lyroda subita (Say) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Ibid. 84:149-156. Patton, W. H. 1892. Notes upon Larradae. Entomol~ News 3:89-90. Peckham, G. W. and E. G. Peckham, 1898. On the instincts and habits of the solitary wasps. Wisconsin Gcol. Natur. Hist. Surv., Sci. SeI., Bull. 2: 1-245. Tsuneki, K. and T. Iida. 1969. The biology of some species of the Formosan Sphecidac, with descriptions of their larvae. Etizenia 37:1-21. 2The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 18, No. 3 [1985], Art. 5https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol18/iss3/5

A New Host Family for \u3ci\u3eLyroda Subita\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

ValpoScholar

The Great Lakes Entomologist 
Volume 18 
Number 3 - Fall 1985 Number 3 - Fall 1985 Article 5 
October 1985 
A New Host Family for Lyroda Subita (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) 
Frank E. Kurczewski 
College of Environmental Science and Forestry 
Margery G. Spofford 
College of Environmental Science and Forestry 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle 
 Part of the Entomology Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Kurczewski, Frank E. and Spofford, Margery G. 1985. "A New Host Family for Lyroda Subita (Hymenoptera: 
Sphecidae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 18 (3) 
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol18/iss3/5 
This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. 
It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. 
For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 
1985 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 113 
A NEW HOST FAMILY FOR LYRODA SUBITA 
(HYMENOPTERA: SPHECIDAE) 
Frank E. Kurczewski and Margery G. Spofford I 
ABSTRACT 
Lyroda subita, a sphecid that ordinarily stocks its cells with Gryllidae, is reported 
provisioning a two-celled nest in up ate New York with Tridactylidae. The structure of 
the nest, depth of celis, stages of wasps, and degree of paralysis of the prey are described. 
In 
1984 Evans and Hook reported on an undescribed species of 
Lyroda from Australia 
that preys upon Tridactylidae. This record is remarkable because species of Lyroda 
ordinarily capture Gryliidae (Evans 1964, Kurczewski and Peckham 1982) or Tetrigidae 
(Iwata 1938, 1963, 1964; Tsuneki and Iida 1969). Furthermore the hunting components 
of sphecids that capture Tridactylidae are unique (Krombein and KurCl~wski 1963, 
Kurczewski 1966a, Kurczewski and Kurczewski 1984), and such a tridactylid-hunting 
species 
of Lyroda would have to alter its manner of searching for prey in contrast to the 
more basic prey searching components exhibited by the gryllid- and tetrigid-hunting 
species. Previously only two genera of Sphecidae, Tachytes and Gastrosericus, both in the 
subfamily Larrinae, were known to contain species that prey upon Tridactylidae (summary 
in 
Bohart and Menke [1976]), and now another larrine genus, 
Lyroda, represents a third. 
On 20 July 1984, in a man-made sand pit near Owasco Lake on the outskirts of Auburn, 
Cayuga County, New York we were astonished to observe a female of Lyroda subita (Say) 
provisioning with Tridactylidae. The wasp with prey flew into an abandoned Cerceris 
jumipennis Say entrance. The burrow was traced obliquely downward to a depth of 7 cm. 
A few centimeters to the side at a depth of 10 cm we found two fully-provisioned cells of 
L. subita separated by 2-3 cm of sand. The oldest cell contained a large larva and the 
remains of several Tridactylidae. The most recent cell held a small larva and four adult 
Neotridactylus apicialis (Say) (det. L J. Cantrall, Museum of Zoology, The University of 
Michigan). The pygmy mole-crickets were rather thoroughly paralyzed in contrast to 
stored prey of Tachytes intermedius (Viereck) and T. mergus (Fox) which often leap from 
the cell when unearthed (Krombein and Kurczewski 1963, Kurczewski and Kurczewski 
1984). Because L. subita is a larger species it may inject relatively more venom into its 
small prey. 
The use of Tridactylidae as prey by L. subita is surprising when one considers that this 
sphecid has been studied in some detail by Patton (1892), Peckham and Peckham (1898), 
Evans (1964) and Kurczewski and Peckham (1982), and, in all cases, the prey comprised 
Gryllidae. Kurczewski and Peckham (1982), for example, recorded 67 individual gryliid 
prey in their study on L. subita. In our current study of sphecid wasps and their 
c1eptoparasitic miltogrammine flies we have observed an additional 65 gryllid prey items 
from L. subita cells and provisioning females. 
The use of atypical prey by species of solitary wasps is indeed a rarity. Evans's (1948) 
record of Anoplius marginatus (Say) (Pompilidae) capturing a harvestman and 
Kurczewski's (1966b) observation of Tachysphex terminatus (Smith) (Sphecidae) storing 
false katydids exemplify the capture of atypical prey by common, well-studied species of 
lDepartment of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and 
Forestry. Syracuse, NY 13210. 
1
Kurczewski and Spofford: A New Host Family for <i>Lyroda Subita</i> (Hymenoptera: Sphecida
Published by ValpoScholar, 1985
114 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vo!. 18, No.3 
wasps. Kurczewski (1966b) attributed the use of false katydids, instead of the usual 
acridid prey, to a scarcity of grasshopper nymphs of suitable size at a particular time of 
year. One record f Ammophi/ia azteca Cameron, a species which usually uses lepidop­
terous and sawfly larvae, storing larval weevils is also exceptional (Evans 1965). Evans 
believed that caterpillars are the' 'preferred" prey of A. azteca but that sawfuly or, rarely, 
weevil larvae may be taken when caterpillars are in "short supply." According to Evans 
(1963), wasps do not normally "make mistakes" in capturing prey. The prey taken by a 
wasp may vary over time from cell to cell, indicating that one source of prey has been 
exhausted and another has been found, but a sudden drastic switch to an atypical family 
of prey is highly unusual. 
The reason for the female of L. subifa storing Tridactylidae is unknown but this 
observation is certainly unique in view of the fact that 14 conspecifics nesting at this 
locality preyed entirely upon gryllids and that both adult and nymphal gryllids were 
plentiful under fallen bark, in cavitics in the soil, and in grasses at the edge of a field. The 
L. subifa female probably unearthed the pygmy mole-crickets; exactly how remains a 
mystery. Did she excavate them with her mandibles in the manner of Tachytes intermedius 
and T. mergus, or did she obtain them in some other way? Perhaps the answer will never 
be known in view of this rare occurence. 
LITERATURE CITED 
Bohart, R. M. and A S. Menke. 1976. Sphecid wasps of the world. A generic revision. 
Univ. California Press, Berkeley. ix + 695 pp. 
Evans, H. E. 1948. Biological notes on two species of Anoplius (Hymenoptera: Pompil­
idae). Entomol. News 59: 180-184. 
1963. Predatory wasps. Sci. Amer. 208:145-154. 
1964. The classification and evolution of digger wasps as suggested by larval 
characters. Entomol. News 75:225-237. 
__
. 1965. Simultaneous care 
of more than one nest by Ammophila azteca Cameron. 
Psyche 72:8-23. 
Evans, H. E. and A. W. Hook. 1984. Nesting behaviour of a Lyroda predator (Hyme­
noptera: Sphecidae) of Tridactylus (Orthoptera: Tridactylidae). Australian Entomol. 
Mag. 11: 16-18. 
[wata, K. 1938. On the habits of some Larridae in Japan. Kontyu 12: 1-13. 
1963. Miscellaneous biological notes on aculeate Hymenoptera in Kagawa in the 
years of 1948 and 1949. Trans. Shikoku Entomol. Soc. 7:114-118. 
__
. 1964. Bionomics 
of non-social wasps in Thailand. Nat. Life Southeast Asia 
3:323-383. 
Krombein, K. V. and F. E. Kurczewski. 1963. Biological notes on three Floridian wasps 
(Hymenoptera, Sphecidae). Proc. Bio!. Soc. Washington 76:139-152. 
Kurczewski, F. E. 1966a. Behavioral notes on two species of Tachytes that hunt pygmy 
mole-crickets (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae, Larrinae). 1. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 
39:147-155. 
__
. 1966b. 
Tachysphex terminatus preying on Tettigoniidae-an unusual record 
(Hymenoptera: Sphecidae, Larrinae). Ibid. 39:317-322. 
Kurczewski, F. E. and E. J. Kurczewski. 1984. Mating and nesting behavior of Tachytes 
intermedius (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 
86:176-184. 
Kurczewski, F. E. and D. J. Peckham. 1982. Nesting behavior of Lyroda subita (Say) 
(Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Ibid. 84:149-156. 
Patton, W. H. 1892. Notes upon Larradae. Entomol~ News 3:89-90. 
Peckham, G. W. and E. G. Peckham, 1898. On the instincts and habits of the solitary 
wasps. Wisconsin Gcol. Natur. Hist. Surv., Sci. SeI., Bull. 2: 1-245. 
Tsuneki, K. and T. Iida. 1969. The biology of some species of the Formosan Sphecidac, 
with descriptions of their larvae. Etizenia 37:1-21. 
2
The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 18, No. 3 [1985], Art. 5
https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol18/iss3/5


A New Host Family for \u3ci\u3eLyroda Subita\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

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