The Bembicidae comprise a large subfamily of apoid wasps that includes over 80 genera and over 1800 species which have a worldwide distribution. They excavate nests in the soil, frequently in sandy soils, and store insects of several orders, for example Diptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Odonata in the burrows. Some species are kleptoparasites of other Bembicidae. The different subgroups of Bembicidae are each quite distinctive, and rather well-defined, with clear morphological and behavioral differences between them.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

Bembicids were originally a part of a single large family, the Sphecidae, then for many years were treated as a separate family, and recently have been placed back into a larger family, the Crabronidae.

Gallery