The Nesting Biology of Tachysphex puncticeps Cameron, 1903 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The nesting biology of Tachysphex puncticeps Cameron is described for the first time. The female observed dug its nest in a groove of a house wall. The excavated nest consisted of three nearly elliptical cells, each provisioned with 8–9 acridid grasshopper nymphs placed head inward and venter up. The wasp egg was laid on the largest grasshopper which appeared to be placed in the middle of the cell. The nest entrance was left open during the provisioning period. The wasp brought prey in flight and directly entered the nest without releasing its grip on the prey. The wasp egg, curved, yellowish, 2.1 mm long and 0.4 mm wide, was attached rather firmly between the fore coxae of the prey just near the base of the left coxa, extending across the sternum and protruding between the foreand mid-femora on the left side and it hatched about one day after being laid. It took the immature larva 3–4 days to consume all the provision. The mature larva stage lasted about one day; the prepupa stage lasted 3 days; the period between pupation and emergence of the adult wasp was 13 to 14 days under laboratory conditions with the temperature about 28°C and the humidity around 80%. The total development time of T. puncticeps was 22 days for the male.