Wasps of Sicily

Last updated on June 7th, 2020

A photographic journey in Sicily.

Text and photos by Gian Luca Agnoli.

In late May 2009 I had the opportunity to visit some incredible coastal biotopes of Sicily, together with Paolo Rosa and Marcello Romano, our wise and generous guide. Here are some of the most interesting pictures I’ve taken during our entomological campaigns.

Camera: Canon EOS 40D; lens: Canon EF 100/2.8 USM Macro; flash: Canon MR-14EX.

Hymenoptera Chrysididae

Chrysis elegansChrysis integra siculaChrysis perezi and many more species:

Chrysis elegans Lepeletier, 1806, m
Chrysis elegans Lepeletier, 1806, m
Chrysis elegans Lepeletier, 1806, f
Chrysis elegans Lepeletier, 1806, f
Chrysis integra sicula Abeille, 1878, f
Chrysis integra sicula Abeille, 1878, f
Chrysis integra sicula Abeille, 1878, m
Chrysis integra sicula Abeille, 1878, m
Chrysis integra sicula Abeille, 1878, couple
Chrysis integra sicula Abeille, 1878, couple
Chrysis perezi Mocsáry, 1889
Chrysis perezi Mocsáry, 1889
Chrysis perezi Mocsáry, 1889
Chrysis perezi Mocsáry, 1889
Chrysis perezi Mocsáry, 1889 and Trichodes ammios (F.) (Coleoptera, Cleridae)
Chrysis perezi Mocsáry, 1889 and Trichodes ammios (F.) (Coleoptera, Cleridae)

Hymenoptera Megachilidae

Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) female defending the snail shell used as nest against another specimen belonging to the same species. The aggressive behaviour is clearly visible, with open mandibles and antennae and legs directed against the aggressor.

Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)
Rhodanthidium sticticum (F.) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)

Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae

Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) with a paralysed Curculionid larva. As reported by W. Arens (1999)* for the species T. interruptus (Br.), the nest is a vertical tunnel dug by the female in the solid soil, temporarily closed with soil clods during the provisioning of the nest.

* Arens W., 1999 – Zum Verhalten von Tropidodynerus interruptus (BRÜLLE 1832) (Vespoidea, Eumenidae) und seines Brutparasiten Chrysis jaxartis SEM. am Nest. Linzer biol. Beitr., 31/1: 147-158.

In the sequence you can see the Eumenine female first removing the soil clods that hide the nest’s entrance, then taking the paralyzed Curculionid larva with the mandibles and introducing it into the nest; then, closing the opening again before flying away. Some females of Chrysis perezi Mocsáry, 1889 were observed around the nests of the Eumenine wasp, thus considered its probable cleptoparasite.

Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)
Tropidodynerus flavus (Lepeletier 1841) (Hymenoptera Vespidae Eumeninae)

Hymenoptera Mutillidae, Scoliidae, Pompilidae, Sphecidae

And many other interesting wasps of the genus Ronisia, StenomutillaMegascoliaCryptocheilus, etc.

Ronisia marocana (Olivier, 1811), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae)
Ronisia marocana (Olivier, 1811), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae) (det. Marcello Romano)
Ronisia marocana (Olivier, 1811), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae)
Ronisia marocana (Olivier, 1811), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae) (det. Marcello Romano)
Stenomutilla collaris (Fabricius, 1787), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae)
Stenomutilla collaris (Fabricius, 1787), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae) (det. Marcello Romano)
Stenomutilla collaris (Fabricius, 1787), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae)
Stenomutilla collaris (Fabricius, 1787), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae) (det. Marcello Romano)
Megascolia maculata flavifrons (Fabricius, 1775)
Stenomutilla collaris (Fabricius, 1787), m (Hymenoptera Mutillidae) (det. Marcello Romano)
Megascolia bidens (Linnaeus, 1767)
Megascolia bidens (Linnaeus, 1767)
Tachysphex sp. (?) (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae)
Tachysphex sp. (?) (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae)
sp. (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae)
sp. (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae)
Cryptocheilus discolor (F.) (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)
Cryptocheilus discolor (F.) (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)
Cryptocheilus discolor (F.) (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)
Cryptocheilus discolor (F.) (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)
Cryptocheilus discolor (F.) (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)
Cryptocheilus discolor (F.) (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)
Cryptocheilus discolor (F.) (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)
Cryptocheilus discolor (F.) (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)

Copyright, Authorship, and Ownership statements

All text and images of this page are copyright ©️ Chrysis.net unless otherwise stated - please see individual cases for authorship and copyright details. The specimens pictured are from the authors' or other collaborators' personal collections and from the collections of various museums. Unless otherwise specified, the whole content of this web site is for personal, non-commercial, scientific, and educational purposes given proper accreditation to the page from which they were derived are provided, and under Chrysis.net Terms and Conditions.

For citation purposes

Agnoli G.L. & Rosa P. (2024) Wasps of Sicily, in: Chrysis.net website. Interim version 28 March 2024, URL: https://www.chrysis.net/chrysididae/wasps-of-sicily/.