Prey, Nest Associates, and Sex Ratios of Isodontia mexicana (Saussure) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) from Two Sites in New York State

• DOI: 10.1664/07-ra-009.1
• Publication Date: 2014-03-21T13:18:50Z
• Authors: Kevin M. O'Neill; James F. O'Neill
• Keywords: Sphecidae; Tettigoniidae; Nest box

At two locations in central New York, including the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, Isodontia mexicana females nested 8 and 9 mm diameter trap nests. As is typical for Isodontia, partitions plugs nests were constructed using fragments of grass stems, outermost portion final nest plug consisted a tuft leaves that extended as far 7 cm beyond entrance. The vast majority prey adult tree crickets (Gryllidae: Oecanthinae; Oecanthus), although nymphal katydids (Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae) also occurred among provisions. sex ratio cricket was strongly female-biased. Nest associates included three other nest-provisioning aculeates, along with Psocoptera, spiders, ants, Coelioxys sp. (Megachilidae), bombyliid, sarcophagid, phorid flies. overall I. offspring did not differ from unity, but any given cell related to position total number cells nest. added linear sequence each nest, new increasingly likely house sons, especially fewer cells. Surprisingly, results previous studies, an unrelated tunnel diameter.