HymenopteraCrabronidae – Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies

Pemphredon (Cemonus) inornata

Pemphredon inornata

This record describes Pemphredon inornata (species). Recorded family: Crabronidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Pemphredon (Cemonus) inornata - Pemphredon inornata — Contributed by v belov; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset

a member of the subg. Cemonus Panzer 1806 (6 spp. in our area)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
Superfamily: Trigonaloidea
Family: Crabronidae (Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies)
Subfamily: Pemphredoninae
Tribe: Pemphredonini
Genus: Pemphredon

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

Holarctic

Diet and Behavior

Diet: Aphids

Additional species information

Species notes from the sources

Etymology: Pemphredon inornata Say 1824

About Flies: the wider group

Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Pemphredon inornata. 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.

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