Spilomena beata♀︎

Last update: 15 November 2024


Rare

Species Spilomena beata
Genus SPILOMENA
Family PEMPHREDONIDAE



Ecological role pollinator

Observations
2023-VI-232022-VIII-21
Months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Years
20222023


Official name

Synonyms

Spilomena beata [Soortenregister]

Spilomena expectata
Spilomena exspectata

see more on: www.gbif.org

Etymology

beata

Spilomena beata ♀︎, imago

CONTENTS

1. Distribution
2. Behaviour
3. Plant relations
4. Prey relations
5. Parasitic relations
6. Identification

1. DISTRIBUTION

Spilomena beata is a rare wasp in the Netherlands [Waarneming.nl].

2. BEHAVIOUR

2.1. ACTIVITY

The species is active from May to half September [Peeters et al. 2004].

2.2. DEVELOPMENT

Nest

The females built their nests in abandoned corridors in dead wood gnawed by beetles Anobium sp. (Anobiidae) [Peeters et al. 2004],[Woydak 1996], but gnaw their own nests in the pith of plant stems too [Peeters et al. 2004],[Bohart & Menke 1976],[Blösch 2000],[Woydak 1996],[Danks 1974],[Lomholdt 1984].

The nesting corridors have a diameter of 1,0-1,4mm and a length of 3,5-6 mm [Danks 1974].

The nest corridors can be constructed linear with the brood cells in a row, or branched with the brood cells located at the end of the corridor [Lomholdt 1984]. The cells are separated with by walls constructed of wood pulp [Blösch 2000] or a 0,2-7mm wedge-shaped pith plug [Danks 1974]. Cells are provisioned with about 20 prey specimen [Peeters et al. 2004],[Blösch 2000].

Male and female cells are equal in size [Danks 1974].

The nest is sealed with a plug of wood shreds that are tamped tight with the abdomen and glued with saliva [Blösch 2000],[Dorow 1990],[Woydak 1996].

Females find their nest using smell and as a result normally take a lot of time to find it after returning from the hunt, which is typical in the genus Spilomena [Blösch 2000],[Lomholdt 1984]. They will scout around a large surface around the assumed nest position until they smelled it out using the antennae [Blösch 2000]

Nest locations may be shared with S. troglodytes [Woydak 1996].

2.3. BEE HOTEL

Females may use artificial nesting material and accept borehole of 1,5-2mm [Peeters et al. 2004],[Woydak 1996].

2.4. MATING

Spilomena beata develops two generation per year [Peeters et al. 2004],[Blösch 2000],[Dorow 1990].

2.5. HUNT

Prey specimen are carried to the nest using their mandibles [Bohart & Menke 1976],[Woydak 1996],[Lomholdt 1984].

3. PLANT RELATIONS

3.1. WOOD

The following wood types are mentioned in literature as medium for the wasp to built her nests in:

Adoxaceae
Sambucus (Elder) [Lomholdt 1984]
Fagaceae
Fagus
Fagus sylvatica (Beech) [Woydak 1996]
Rosaceae
Rubus (Blackberry) [Blösch 2000],[Dorow 1990]
Scrophulariaceae
Buddleja [Danks 1974]
Table 3.1-1: wood types used as nest substrate

Twigs [Bohart & Menke 1976],[Dorow 1990] and timber [Dorow 1990] may be used as well.

3.2. FOOD PLANTS

Males feed with honeydew liked from leaves.
The following plant species are mentioned in literature as food sources:

Apicaceae
Falcaria [Blösch 2000],[Dorow 1990]

Pastinaca [Blösch 2000],[Dorow 1990]

Peucedanum
Peucedanum cervaria [Bitsch & Leclercq 1993]
Table 3.2-1: Food plants in the Netherlands

Garden species

Our garden provides a number of these food plant. I have observer a Spilomena species foraging on Fennel (Foeniculum) but did not establish which one.

4. PREY RELATIONS

The species uses primarily the larvae of thrips (Thysanoptera) for her brood [Peeters et al. 2004],[Bohart & Menke 1976],[Blösch 2000],[Dorow 1990],[Klein 1999],[Lomholdt 1984].
The following species and group occurring in the Netherlands [Soortenregister] are mentioned in literature:

Thysanoptera
(Thrips) [Bohart & Menke 1976]

Taeniothrips [Blösch 2000],[Woydak 1996]

Thrips [Blösch 2000],[Woydak 1996]
Table 4-1: Prey species in the Netherlands

Garden species

None of the mentioned prey species have yet been observed in our garden.

5. PARASITIC RELATIONS

The following species and groups occurring in the Netherlands [Soortenregister] are mentioned in literature:



Table 5-1: Parasitic species in the Netherlands

Parasitic species outside the Netherlands:

Hymenoptera
(Wespen)

Chalcidoidea (Bronswespen)

Pteromalidae
Lonchetron
Lonchetron fennicum [Bohart & Menke 1976]

Table 5-2: Parasitic species outside the Netherlands

6. IDENTIFICATION

Length males: 2,5 – 3 mm
Length females: 2,5 – 3,5 mm

Genus

The genus Spilomena can be identified using the following characters:

1.  Forewing: with two submarginal cells [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, forewing with two submarginal cells

2. Forewing: submarginal cell 2 not petiolate [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, Spilomena: forewing second submarginal cel not petiolate

3. Forewing: pterostigma large and almost semicircular [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, Spilomena: forewing with large, almost semi-circular pterostigma

4. Forewing: radial cell(lr) longer than pterostigma (ls) [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, Spilomena: front wing; length stigma shorter than length radial cell

5. Forewing: radial cell tip sharp [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, Spilomena: forewing radial cell pointed

6. Forewing: with one discoidal cell [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, Spilomena: forewing with one discoidal cell

7. Abdomen: first abdominal segment not petiolate [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, Spilomena: first abdominal segment not petiolate

8. Abdomen: entirely black [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, Spilomena: abdomen entirely black



Spilomena beata ♀︎, imago
Spilomena beata ♀︎, imago
Spilomena beata ♀︎, imago

1. Antenna with 12 segments [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, antenna with twelve segments

2. Abdomen with 6 segments [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, abdomen with six segments

HEAD

1. Clypeus: evenly rounded [Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991] , without longitudinal groove [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],11]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, clypeus evenly rounded

2. Mandible: usually black-brown [Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, mandibles usually black-brown

3. Ratio distance between hind ocelli (POL) : distance hind ocellus to eye edge (OOL) = 1,4 – 2,0 (here ±1,4) [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, ool = 1,4-2,0x pol

4. Occiput: developed less strongly [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, occiput developed less strongly

THORAX

1. Scutellum: frontal furrow narrow and without transverse carinae [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, basal scutellum furrow narrow and without transverse carinae

2. Mesonotum: apical edge without longitudinal grooves [Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, apical edge mesonotum without longitudinal grooves

3. Mesopleuron: with clear fine longitudinal wrinkles [Klein 1999]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, mesopleuron with fine clear longitudinal wrinkles

3. Wings: veins brown [Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, wing veins brown

4. Dorsal field propodeum limited by carina, without fine net-shaped wrinkles between the main sculpture [Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

Spilomena beata ♀︎, dorsal field propodeum limited by carina, without fine net-shaped wrinkles between the main sculpture

ABDOMEN

  1. Tergite 6 with double bristle row [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]
Spilomena beata ♀︎, tergite 6 with double bristle row




1. Antenna with 13 segments [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

2. Abdomen with 7 segments [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

3. Face and clypeus yellow, at least the front edge yellow [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

HEAD

1. Clypeus: apical edge with or without slight curve [Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

2. Clypeus: entirely or almost entirely yellow [Klein 1999]

3. Mandible: distally with narrow red-brown edge [Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

4. Ratio distance between hind ocelli (POL) : distance hind ocellus to eye edge (OOL) = 1,4 – 2,0 [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

5. Antenna: flag segments almost cylindrical [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

6. Antenna: flag dark coloured, at most on inside more or less red-brown [Klein 1999]

THORAX

1. Scutellum: frontal furrow narrow and without transverse carinae [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],[Dollfuss 1991]

2. Dorsal field propodeum limited by carina, without fine net-shaped wrinkles between the main sculpture [Klein 1999],[Jacobs 2007],11]

ABDOMEN

1. Aedoeagus apically pointed [Jacobs 2007]



Literature

Bitsch & Leclercq 1993 Bitsch, J. & Leclercq, J., 1993. Hyménoptères Sphecidae d'Europe occidentale. Fédération française des sociétés de sciences naturelles.

Blösch 2000 Blösch, M. (2000). Die Grabwespen Deutschlands – Lebens‐weise, Verhalten, Verbreitung. 71. Teil. In Dahl, F.: Die Tierwelt Deutschlands. Begr.: 1925. – Keltern (Goecke & Evers). – 480 S. 341 Farbfotos. ISBN 3‐931374‐26‐2 (hardcover). DM 98,–. Zool. Reihe, 78: 353-353. https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnz.20020780208

Bohart & Menke 1976 Bohart, R.M. & Menke A.S., 1976. Sphecid wasps of the world: a generic revision. - University of California Press, 695 p.

Danks 1971 Danks, H.V., 1971. Biology of some stem‐nesting aculeate Hymenoptera. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London, 122.11: 323-395.

Dollfuss 1991 Dollfuss, H., 1991. Bestimmungsschlüssel der Grabwespen Nord-und Zentraleuropas. Stapfia, 24, 1-247.

Dorow 1990 Dorow, W., 1990. 3.7 Hymenoptera: Aculeata (Stechimmen). Schönbuche. Zoologische Unter suchungen, 1992, 127-264.

Jacobs 2007 Jacobs, H.J., 2007. Die Grabwespen Deutschlands Ampulicidae. Sphecidae, Crabronidae–Bestimmungsschlüssel in Blank, SM & Taeger, A (Hrsg): Die Tierwelt Deutschlands und der angrenzenden Meeresteile nach ihren Merkmalen und nach ihrer Lebensweise, Hymenoptera III–Keltern, Goecke & Evers, 79: 1-207.

Klein 1999 Klein, W., 1999 De graafwespen van de Benelux: supplement. Jeugdbondsuitgeverij, 1-37. + Klein, W., 1996. De graafwespen van de Benelux. Jeugdbondsuitgeverij, 1-130.

Lomholdt 1984 Lomholdt, O., 1984. The Sphecidae (Hymenoptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark. Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica, 4.1: 2.

Peeters et al. 2004 Peeters, T.M.J., C. van Achterberg, W.R.B. Heitmans, W.F. Klein, V. Lefeber, A.J. van Loon, A.A. Mabelis, H. Nieuwen-huijsen, M. Reemer, J. de Rond, J. Smit, H.H.W. Velthuis, 2004. De wespen en mieren van Nederland (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). – Nederlandse Fauna 6. Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis, Leiden, knnv Uitgeverij, Utrecht & European Invertebrate Survey – Nederland, Leiden.

Soortenregister Nederlands Soortenregister

Waarneming.nl Waarneming.nl

Woydak 1996 Woydak, H., 1996. Hymenoptera Aculeata Westfalica Familia: Sphecidae (Grabwespen), 3-135.

Citation

Krischan, O.R., 2025. Spilomena beata. Kerfdier, www.kerfdier.nl. Accessed on [date month year].



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