Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Tachysphex obscuripennis by W. Heitmans

Posted by Isidro on 29-06-2008 14:47
#1

Maybe Sphecidae s. l.

Yesterday. La Pe?a, Huesca, NE Spain. About 500 meters high. Mix of mediterranean and alpine climate. Habitat: clear forest of Quercus faginea and other trees. Size: about 14 mm (more or less the same than a Polistes).

img34.picoodle.com/img/img34/4/6/29/f_P1010692m_7149abc.jpg

What species can be?

Thanks.
Regards

Edited by Isidro on 30-06-2008 14:25

Posted by Jose Luis RC on 29-06-2008 16:03
#2

Probably Sphex. Regards.

Posted by Isidro on 29-06-2008 16:42
#3

Thanks..

very small for a Sphex!

Posted by Jose Luis RC on 29-06-2008 18:31
#4

The genre Sphex, beside being in almost quite the planet, your size is between 10 and 32mm.

Posted by Christian Schmid-Egger on 30-06-2008 07:24
#5

Its not a Sphex, but a member of the subfamily Astatinae (Crabronidae). I am not really sure about the genus, but Astata is probable. I also thought on Larra, because of the size, but Larra normally takes Gryllotalpa for prey.

Sphex is preying large Ensifera.

Regards, Christian

Posted by cthirion on 30-06-2008 10:23
#6

Astata: predator of the Heteroptera!

Posted by Paul Beuk on 30-06-2008 11:01
#7

According to my colleague (W. Heitmans), specialist bof cockroaches: Tachysphex obscuripennis on Ectobius pallidus nymph (male, last nymphal stage).

Posted by Isidro on 30-06-2008 14:24
#8

Thanks everybody! The cockroach was already identified (E. pallidus is common in my zone) but the wasp would be impossible for me without your help. I don't know these specific relationships between predator and prey, I thinked that these wasps was less specific.

Thanks again.
Regards

Posted by cthirion on 01-07-2008 23:17
#9

Tachysphex panzeri also predator of the Blattodea!

Posted by Christian Schmid-Egger on 02-07-2008 07:30
#10

I think it is not possible to identify Tachysphex (or related genus) by photo. Tachysphex occurs with appr. 50-60 sp. in Southern Europe, and species ID even with pinned specimens is really difficult.

Regards, Christian