Isodontia elegans (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), one of the “grass- carrying wasps,” previously known only from the western U.S., is now reported from southeastern Michigan, and appears to have spread across the eastern half of the United States in a relatively short period

Craves, Julie A

O\u27Brien, Mark F

English

ValpoScholar

The Great Lakes Entomologist 
Volume 39 
Numbers 1 & 2 - Spring/Summer 2006 Numbers 
1 & 2 - Spring/Summer 2006 
Article 14 
April 2006 
Isodontia Elegans Now in Michigan (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: 
Sphecinae) 
Mark F. O'Brien 
University of Michigan 
Julie A. Craves 
University of Michigan 
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O'Brien, Mark F. and Craves, Julie A. 2006. "Isodontia Elegans Now in Michigan (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: 
Sphecinae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 39 (1) 
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol39/iss1/14 
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94 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 39, Nos. 1 & 2
ISODONTIA ELEGANS NOW IN MICHIGAN  
(HYMENOPTERA: SPHECIDAE: SPHECINAE)
Mark F. O’Brien1  and Julie A. Craves2 
ABSTRACT
Isodontia elegans (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), one of the “grass-
carrying wasps,” previously known only from the western U.S., is now reported 
from southeastern Michigan, and appears to have spread across the eastern half 
of the United States in a relatively short period. 
____________________
The thread-waisted wasps (Sphecinae) of Michigan are fairly well-studied 
(O’Brien 1989), with 27 species previously recorded from the state (O’Brien 1989, 
Cowan 1991).  Most of these species are large and easy to identify.  They are 
attracted to nectar, and so are easily observed at flowers, even if their nesting 
activities are less-easily observed and recorded.
The genus Isodontia (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), whose members are 
known as “grass-carrying wasps,” was represented previously by two species in 
Michigan; I. auripes (Fernald) and I. mexicana (Saussure) (O’Brien 1989). All 
members of this genus use pre-existing cavities for their nests, which they line 
with grass stems and similar plant materials.  The tubular nests are provisioned 
with Gryllidae or small Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera).
We now add a third species, I. elegans (Smith) to the fauna of Michigan. 
On 9 August 2006, the senior author photographed and collected a male I. el-
egans that was nectaring at Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum).  It 
was recovered in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co., MI, in a butterfly garden in front 
of the Ruthven Museums Building on the University of Michigan campus.  At 
least two additional I. elegans were observed in the same patch of flowers on two 
days subsequent to the capture of the specimen.  An additional I. elegans voucher 
(male) was collected on 31 August 2006.  The other two species, I. auripes and 
I. mexicana, were also observed nectaring at the Mountain Mint flowers.  The 
junior author photographed I. elegans nectaring on Eryngium planum at her 
home in Dearborn, (Wayne Co.) MI in mid-July 2005.  No voucher was collected, 
but her photograph is unmistakably that of I. elegans.
Isodontia elegans is easily identified by its reddish-brown legs and ab-
dominal segments.  No other North American species of Isodontia has that color 
combination.  The erect hairs on the frons of the male are yellowish-gold in 
color.  Wings of both sexes have reddish veins and varying amounts of reddish 
infuscation.  The abdominal petiole is black.
Additionally, specimens photographed at West Chicago Prairie (on Pas-
tinaca sativa) DuPage Co., IL on 1 July 2005, and in Central Park, New York 
City, NY in July 2006 have been posted online at http://bugguide.net/node/
view/23933.  An additional reference to a specimen caught in Cincinnati, OH is 
listed online at http://whatsthatbug.com/wasps_2.html.
Isodontia elegans was previously only recorded from West of the 100th 
meridian in North America; a western species by definition (Bohart and Menke 
1Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079. (email: mfo-
brien@umich.edu).
 2Rouge River Bird Observatory, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 
48128. (email: jcraves@umd.umich.edu).
1
O'Brien and Craves: Isodontia Elegans Now in Michigan (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Spheci
Published by ValpoScholar, 2006
2006 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 95
Figure 1.  Male Isodontia elegans, Ann Arbor, MI, by M.F. O’Brien.
1963, 1976).  In the span of two summers, we have reports of this species in urban/
suburban locales ranging from Chicago to New York City.  We attribute these 
reports of this non-fossorial species to the transport of goods across the United 
States.  Since Isodontia wasps nest in small cavities, they are easily shipped 
in pallets and other objects/materials that may be used in the landscaping and 
home-adornment industry, especially if the materials contain suitably-sized 
hollow nesting areas with completed nests.  It’s certainly not a surprise that 
this species has been carried into new habitats, as the North American native 
species, I. mexicana has likewise spread across Europe under similar circum-
stances (Fonfria 2005, Scaramozzino, et al. 1991, Schmid-Egger and Schmidt 
1994, Zettel 2003).
A previous record of the Palearctic spider wasp Auplopus carbonarius 
Scopoli (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) (Kurczewski and O’Brien 1991) cites the 
ease in which mud and cavity nesting wasps and bees have been aided by human 
transport.  The ongoing spread of the vespid wasp Polistes dominulus (Christ) 
(Hymenoptera: Vespidae) across the United States is well-documented (Judd 
and Carpenter 1996, Cervo, et al. 2000).  Michigan seems to lie at the center of 
many sightings of both native and exotic insects that are expanding in range. 
Michigan’s position as an industrial center, transportation hub, port of entry, 
vacation destination, its shipping and trucking routes, and lack of any large 
barriers to insect movement may facilitate artificial introduction and range 
expansion of native and exotic insect species.
It is cautionary not to attribute new range expansions of native species 
purely to changing biotic or climatic factors, but to consider anthropogenic aids 
such as unregulated interstate transport as a major factor in the establishment 
of new populations.
2
The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 39, No. 1 [2006], Art. 14
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96 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 39, Nos. 1 & 2
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The voucher specimens have been deposited into the Univ. of Michigan 
Museum of Zoology Insect Collection, Ann Arbor.
LITERATURE CITED
Bohart, R. M., and A. S. Menke.  1963 . A reclassification of the Sphecinaae, with a revi-
sion of the nearctic species of the tribes Scleiphronini and Sphecini (Hymenoptera: 
Sphecidae). Univ. Calif. Publ. Entomol. 30: 91-182, 115 figs.
Bohart, R. M., and A. S. Menke.  1976 . Sphecid wasps of the world. A generic revision. 
Univ. Calif. Press, Berkeley. 696 pp.
Cervo, R., Zacchi, F., and Turillazzi, S.  2000.  Polistes dominulus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) 
invading North America: Some hypotheses for its rapid spread. Insectes Sociaux. 
47(2): 155-157.
Cowan, D. P.  1991.  New Michigan state record for a sphecine wasp, Podium rufipes 
(Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Gt. Lakes Entomol. 24: 183-184.
Fonfria, R.  2005.  [The nesting of Isodontia mexicana (saussure, 1867), Nearctic species 
introduced to France, Spain and Italy (Hymenoptera Sphecidae).]. Entomologiste 
(Paris) 61(3): 97-99.
Judd, T., and J. Carpenter.  1996.  Polistes dominulus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) found in 
Michigan. Gt. Lakes Entomol. 29: 45-46.
Kurczewski, F. E., and M. F. O’Brien.  1991.  Auplopus carbonarius, a Palearctic spider 
wasp, extends its range to Michigan (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae).  Gt. Lakes Ento-
mol. 24: 185-186.
O’Brien, M. F.  1989.  Distribution and biology of the sphecine wasps of Michigan (Hy-
menoptera: Sphecidae: Sphecinae).  Gt. Lakes Entomol. 22: 199-217.
Scaramozzino, P. L., I. Currado, G. Vergano, and C. Tromellini.  1991.  Nesting behav-
iour of adventive Isodontia mexicana (Saussure) in Piedmont (Italy north-west) 
(Hymenoptera Sphecidae). Ethology Ecology and Evolution Special Issue no.1 1991: 
39-42.
Schmid-Egger, C., and K. Schmidt. 1994.  [Isodontia mexicana (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) 
in southern central Europe.]. Bembix 3, October 1994: 12-13.
Zettel, H.  2003.  Isodontia mexicana (Saussure, 1867) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), a new 
neozoon in Austria. Beitraege Zur Entomofaunistik 4 (December 2003).
3
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Isodontia Elegans Now in Michigan (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Sphecinae)

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Isodontia Elegans Now in Michigan (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Sphecinae)

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