Hairy-footed Scoliid Wasp
Dielis pilipes
This record describes Dielis pilipes (species). Recorded family: Scoliidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Female Dielis in our area are separated from other campsomerine genera by their white hairs, particularly on the face. Among western Dielis , females are separated from D. tolteca by their yellow-marked abdomens (orange in D. tolteca ). Structurally, the propodeum is punctate, in contrast to the smooth propodeum of D. tolteca . Female D. pilipes are also separated from D. plumipes by the lack of an orangish-brown collar of hairs on the pronotum. Males are virtually unique among all campsomerine species in our area for their 5 abdominal bands (4 in other species apart from D. tejensis known only from Texas, and xanthic individuals of the allopatric Pygodasis quadrimaculata from the southeastern US).
Wikipedia reference for Dielis pilipes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielis_pilipes.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Scolioidea
- Family
- Scoliidae (Scoliid Wasps)
- Tribe
- Campsomerini
- Genus
- Dielis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Dielis pilipes (Saussure, 1858)
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Dielis pilipes. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Hairy-footed Scoliid Wasp (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by George Waldren; Additional contributions by v belov , Robert H. Biagi , PaleoJon