Biology
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Females excavate burrows in living flower stems such as
Watsonia, Gladiolus and Foxglove by hollowing out the central pithy stem
both above and below the 4 mm diameter entrance hole, which is cut in
the stem side. A number of monocot families are utilized: Amaryllidaceae,
Asphodelaceae and Iridaceae. The nest contains a number of cells (up to
14), each provisioned with many partially paralyzed flies, each cell
sealed off with a layer of pith. Dasyproctus bipunctatus preys on
a number of fly (Diptera) families: Anthomyiidae, Chloropidae,
Lonchaeidae, Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Sapromyzidae, Simuliidae,
Spheroceridae, Syrphidae, Tachinidae & Tephritiidae, Ulidiidae (formerly
Otitidae) (Gess & Gess, 2014). |
References
|
Bohart, R.M. &
Menke, A. S. 1976. Sphecid Wasps of the World: a
Generic Revision. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Brothers D.J. 1999. Phylogeny and
evolution of wasps, ants and bees (Hymenoptera, Chrysidoidea, Vespoidea and
Apoidea) Zoologica Scripta 28: 233–250.
Finnamore, A.T. & Michener, C.D. 1993. Superfamily Apoidea (pp.
279-357). In GOULET, H. & HUBER, J. (eds). Hymenoptera of the World:
an identification guide to families. Research Branch, Agriculture
Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 668 pp.
Gess, S.K. & Gess, F.W. 2014.
Wasps and bees in southern Africa. SANBI
Biodiversity Series 24. South African National Biodiversity Institute,
Pretoria. 320 pp. |
