Ageniellini, known as the mud-nesting spider wasps, is a tribe of

spider wasps Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary (with the exception of some group-ne ...

in the subfamily

Pepsinae The Pepsinae are a subfamily of the spider wasp family, Pompilidae, including the two genera of large tarantula hawks, as well as many genera of smaller species. Biology A female spider wasp generally captures and stings a spider to paralise ...

Description

The Ageniellini are slender-bodied spider wasps. They are distinguished from most other Pompilidae by their petiolate abdominal structure and typical absence of a transverse carina on the first segment of the gaster. These traits are, however, shared with '' Melanagenia'' of the tribe

Pepsini Pepsini is a tribe of spider wasps in the family Pompilidae. Genera * '' Abernessia'' Arlé, 1947 * '' Adirostes'' Banks, 1946 * '' Aimatocare'' Roig-Alsina, 1989 * '' Allaporus'' Banks, 1933 * '' Alococurgus'' Haupt, 1937 * '' Anacyphonyx'' Ba ...

, which is separated by the lack of malar space, deep lateral sulcus of the pronotum, and wing venation.

Distribution

The tribe Ageniellini is cosmopolitan.

Behavior

Members of Ageniellini have one of three lifestyles that either invade the nests of other

spider wasp Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary (with the exception of some group-ne ...

nests as

kleptoparasite Kleptoparasitism (originally spelt clepto-parasitism, meaning "parasitism by theft") is a form of feeding in which one animal deliberately takes food from another. The strategy is Evolutionarily stable strategy, evolutionarily stable when stealin ...

s, build their own nests in dry soil, or build thimble-shaped nests out of mud. The most common of these nesting strategies is building mud nests, which are frequently communal in contrast to most other spider wasp groups. As typical of the rest of the family, the Ageniellini provision their nests with a single spider and then lay an egg on it. Most of the species remove the legs of their spider prey before bringing it to the nest.

Genera

There are 17 genera within Ageniellini. * '' Ageniella'' Banks, 1912 * '' Atopagenia'' Wasbauer, 1987 * ''

Auplopus ''Auplopus'' is a large genus of spider wasps belonging to the subfamily Pepsinae of the spider wasp family Pompilidae, distributed throughout the world except for Antarctica. ''Auplopus'' wasps amputate the legs of their spider prey before tran ...

'' Spinola, 1841 * '' Cyemagenia'' Arnold, 1946 * '' Dichragenia'' Haupt, 1950 * '' Dimorphagenia'' Evans, 1973 * '' Eragenia'' Banks, 1946 * '' Machaerothrix'' Haupt, 1938 * '' Macromerella'' Banks, 1934 * '' Macromeris'' Lepeletier, 1831 * '' Melanagenia'' Wahis, 2009 * '' Mystacagenia'' Evans, 1973 * '' Paragenia'' Bingham, 1896 * '' Phanagenia'' Banks, 1933 * '' Phanochilus'' Banks, 1944 * '' Poecilagenia'' Haupt, 1926 * '' Priocnemella'' Banks, 1925

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q19973586 Pepsinae Hymenoptera tribes