Nyssonini
Nysson spinosus
The Nyssonini are a tribe of grave wasps ( Spheciformes ) from the family Crabronidae. Worldwide there are 17 genera known in Europe are 38 species in two genera before.
Features
The small and stocky grave wasps have strong sculpted body with tooth-like projections at the corners of the thorax. These characteristics, which occur for example in living parasitically bee species, are an adaptation to the parasitic lifestyle and help protect against attacks.
Way of life
The females do not build their own nests, but are parasitoids of other grave wasps genera, such as Gorytes, Harpactus and Argogorytes. The Brachystegus species parasitize species of the genus Tachytes. The Parasitoidenlarve eats not only the food supply of the host species, it kills and eats the host larva or her egg.
System
After Pulawski ( 2009), the tribe includes the following genera:
- Acanthostethus Smith, 1869
- Antomartinezius Fritz, 1955
- Brachystegus A. Costa, 1859
- Cresson Godfather, 1938
- Epinysson Godfather, 1935
- Foxia Ashmead, 1898
- Hovanysson Arnold, 1945
- Hyponysson Cresson, 1882
- Idionysson Godfather, 1940
- Losada Godfather, 1940
- Metanysson Ashmead, 1899
- Neonysson R. Bohart, 1968
- Nippononysson Yasumatsu and Maidl, 1936
- Nursea Cameron, 1902
- Nysson Latreille, ( = Synnevrus A. Costa, 1859)
- Perisson Godfather, 1938
- Zanysson Rohwer, 1921