Dipogon variegatus
The Pied spider wasp ( Dipogon variegatus ) is a Hymenoptera of the family of Wegwespen ( Pompilidae ). It occurs in Europe and North Africa.
Features
Pied Wegwespen are uniformly black colored Wegwespen 5-10 mm body length. The name derives from the striking subscribed forewings that have a white spot at the tip, beyond which lies a broad dark brown binding. Prior to this, in turn, is a narrow translucent and before another, very narrow, dark tie.
Occurrence and habitat
The Pied spider wasp is found in many parts of Europe including Madeira and in North Africa and the Middle East. It is distributed almost throughout Germany, north of Berlin, but no specimens have been found. In the Alps, they can be up to 1700 m above sea level occur in heat- recipient bodies.
The species is particularly heat -loving, bifasciatus more so than the related species Dipogon. It has a distinct distribution focus in the man- made landscapes such as in abandoned vineyards or orchards. There she is to be found mainly in dry stone walls, but they also colonized forest edges or semi-dry grasslands with rocks and stones.
Way of life
The type usually occurs in low population density. As prey they mainly serve crab spiders of the genera Thomisus and Xysticus and Actual sack spiders ( Clubiona ). These can be stored in different types of pre-existing voids, such as holes in the walls of stone or rock. In deadwood no nests of the Pied still have spider wasp found, although they sometimes staying there for sunbathing or on the hunt for spiders. Sometimes the abandoned nests of Tönnchenwegwespe and their relatives of the genus Auplopus be reused in snail shells or rocks or existing broken. In a cavity one to three brood cells, each with a spider can be created, which are then sealed with soil and cobwebs. For joining sweeping the cobwebs the females possess generic typical Fegeborsten the lower jaw.