Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
9.5 – 12mm

Sphodrotes punctuosa males:
Differing from females in …
Smaller head-body length (8 – 10mm); longer antennae

Note also that, as in many crabronids, males have an additional flagellar segment (11, cf. 10 in females) and an additional visible segment in the gaster (7, cf. 6 in females).

As with nearly all members of the tribe Miscophini, male Sphodrotes have 11 antennal flagellomeres.

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Femora black with light ferrugineous apices. Tibiae and tarsi light ferrugineous.”

Sphodrotes species:
“Forewings with three submarginal cells of which the second is petiolate. Both recurrent veins received by the second submarginal cell, or the first being interstitial, or even joining first submarginal cell ni single specimens.” p.87

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Wings slightly infumate.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Facial sculpture double, consisting of deep punctures separated by shining, finely and densely punctate interstices less than their diameter. Lower face with silvery pubescence of varying density. Frontal line absent or very indistinct.“

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Facial sculpture double, consisting of deep punctures separated by shining, finely and densely punctate interstices less than their diameter. Lower face with silvery pubescence of varying density. Frontal line absent or very indistinct.“

Sphodrotes punctuosa males:
Differing from females in …
“Punctation on frons much denser and stronger, interstices narrower, micropunctation finer. Frontal and clypeal pubescence much denser, brassy or slightly golden.”

Sphodrotes species:
“Mandibles with externoventral notch, proximally delimited by a blunt tooth.” (p. 87)

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Mandibles densely pubescent proximally, median part ferrugineously amber, apex black to dark ferrugineous.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Facial foveae distinct, medially bordered by a longitudinal elevation.” “Antennal colour varying from almost quite dark brown or black to light yelowish ferrugineous.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa males:
Differing from females in …
“Facial foveae absent. Scapal basin deeper.” “Proximal flagellar segments light ferrugineous ventrally to quite light ferrugineous.”

Sphodrotes species:
“Pronotum short. Axillae shining smooth.”
“Propodeal synsclerite: Dorsal enclosure only indicated by a shallow, indistinctly pitted, groove.” (p.87)

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Propodeum. Dorsal face with a weak, median carina (absent in some specimens), remaining surface strongly reticulate. Posterolateral areas with dense, silvery pubescence, teeth absent or only slightly indicated. Lateral faces coarsely striate medially. Posterior face with superficial, transverse striation.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Propodeum. Dorsal face with a weak, median carina (absent in some specimens), remaining surface strongly reticulate. Posterolateral areas with dense, silvery pubescence, teeth absent or only slightly indicated. Lateral faces coarsely striate medially. Posterior face with superficial, transverse striation.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa males:
Differing from females in …
“Thoracic, propodeal, and gastral sculture stronger and denser.”

Sphodrotes species:
“One or two posterolateral prominences usually present, less pronounced in males than in females.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Posterolateral areas with dense, silvery pubescence, teeth absent or only slightly indicated. Lateral faces coarsely striate medially. Posterior face with superficial, transverse striation.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Thorax, incl. pronotal lobes black, strongly and densely punctate, punctation on scutum not as strong as that of frons, interstices even, finely punctate.” “Anterodorsal mesopleuron very strongly sculptured, punctures pit-like. Episternal sulcus deep.” “Entire mesopleuron with thin greyish-white pubescence.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa males:
Differing from females in …
“Thoracic, propodeal, and gastral sculture stronger and denser.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Anterodorsal mesopleuron very strongly sculptured, punctures pit-like. Episternal sulcus deep. Hypoepimeral area with coarse, reticulo-striate sculpture. Entire mesopleuron with thin greyish-white pubescence.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Gaster black, apical tergal margins slightly ferruginously transparent. Pubescence thin, silvery to slightly golden, forming fasciae on tergum I-III.”

Sphodrotes species:
“Tergum 1 with a laterobasal, strongly raised, almost angularly projecting lamella. Sternum 1 (except in prima) with a median vault or carina terminating in a compressed tooth.” p.87

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Sternum I with indistinct median keel, posterior tooth rather weak.”

Sphodrotes species:
“Sternum 1 (except in prima) with a median vault or carina terminating in a compressed tooth.” p.87

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Sternum I with indistinct median keel, posterior tooth rather weak.”

Lomholdt makes no mention of male difference in the structure of SI.

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Gaster black, apical tergal margins slightly ferruginously transparent. Pubescence thin, silvery to slightly golden, forming fasciae on tergum I-III.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa males:
Differing from females in …
"Thoracic, propodeal, and gastral sculture stronger and denser.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Fore-metatarsus with 5-6 rake spines of which the distal one is distinctly shorter than the second tarsal segment.”

[arrows indicate spines; thicker, yellow arrow is the most distal spine]

Sphodrotes punctuosa males:
“Metatarsus I with 4-5 rake spines.”

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Clypeal outline (Fig. 31), the three lateral teeth distinct, median emargination very shallow or absent.”

The arrows indicate the lateral teeth, with the innermost (dotted arrow) difficult to see beneath the fringing setae.

Sphodrotes punctuosa females:
“Clypeal outline (Fig. 31), the three lateral teeth distinct, median emargination very shallow or absent.”

The arrows indicate the lateral teeth, with the innermost (dotted arrow) difficult to see.

The dense pubescence conceals the apical rim of the clypeus when viewed face on.

[compare with Lomholdt’s Fig. 32]

The arrows indicate apical rim of the clypeus. There is a suggestion of a single, lateral tooth (thicker, yellow arrows), but it is not prominent as it is in the female.

[compare with Lomholdt’s Fig. 32]

Sphodrotes have:
- inner margins of eyes parallel, or slightly converging below
- a wide scapal basin (most)

Sphodrotes have:
- inner margins of eyes parallel, or slightly converging below
- a wide scapal basin (most)

Sphodrotes have:
- 3 submarginal cells in the forewing
- the second submarginal cell triangular and petiolate, or at least narrowed anteriorly (arrow)
- broad genae, so the head appears rectangular when viewed dorsally
- integument strongly sculpted, and usually pitted

Sphodrotes have:
- both recurrent veins (arrows) received by submarginal cell II (usually, with occasional exceptions)

Unlike many other wasps, Sphodrotes rarely display their wings in this way, so one has to be lucky to get field shots clearly showing forewing venation … making this a less useful feature for genus level ID.

Most of the Sphodrotes I see are males, either flying on patrol or perched on low vegetation.

They tend to pivot to and fro on the same perch, looking in all directions, before flying off again … and often returning to the same perch a short time later.

Makes life easy for the photographer!

Sphodrotes have:
- the mesopleuron sharply angled anteriorly (arrow)

That is, they look to have a square chest.

Occasionally I catch a female outside her burrow, grooming in the sun. Such photo opportunities are, however, quite rare. It’s normally the males that are sitting about on the vegetation.

Sphodrotes have:
- integument strongly sculpted, and usually pitted

This coarsely sculptured integument is one of the most reliably visible clues to the genus.

Inspecting her chosen nest site … sandy soil beneath a layer of loose gravel, fallen leaves and twigs.

Excavation works proceed in relative obscurity. This is in stark contrast to the ‘out in the open’ approach of nest digging among some other crabronids (e.g. Cerceris, Bembix).

If I’m patient and watch a known burrow entrance, I may get a glimpse of the female returning with prey. Typically they dive into the open burrow beneath the leaf litter before I can get a good look … let alone a shot. This was my lucky day, as she landed outside before wrestling her large catch below ground.

Evans (1973) recorded Sphodrotes nemoralis in Far North QLD provisioning their nests with immature bugs (Pentatomoidea … stink bugs, etc). And it seems our local species is targeting similar prey.

Within 4 minutes she headed out again, quickly departing the area. Like many ground-nesting crabronids, Sphodrotes are susceptible to a variety of parasites and nest invaders. Avoiding detection is a priority – although a near impossibility.

I had just spotted this female land on the stick, when the male flew in and grabbed her. Note the much smaller head and body of the male … a size difference that is difficult to appreciate unless they’re coupled like this.

His mandibles are gripping her antennae, appearing to pull her head up … perhaps making it more difficult for her to scurry or fly away.

Escape she does, by throwing her whole body off the stick, although the coupling holds firm for a moment longer. Immediately after this shot they were separated … and the male was perched nearby, grooming.