Triscolia ardens

Triscolia ardens is a species of wasp in the family Scoliidae. It is the sole member of its genus found in North America outside of Mexico.^[1][2]

Triscolia ardens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Scoliidae
Genus:	Triscolia
Species:	T. ardens
Binomial name
Triscolia ardens (Smith, 1855)
Synonyms
Scolia ardens Smith, 1855

Description and identification

Among the North American fauna, this species is recognized as a Triscolia by the combination of a single recurrent vein and three submarginal cells. The integument and setae are black from the head to the second segment of the gaster but red on the remainder of the gaster.^[3] In terms of color, this species resembles the common Scolia dubia but lacks the distinctive yellow spots of the nominate subspecies. As with other scoliids, the females have short antennae, while the males have long antennae, and possess a "three pronged pseudosting".^[1]

Distribution

T. ardens is known from the Mexican states of Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Sonora^[3] and from the United States from California to Texas.^[4]

Habitat

Open fields, meadows, open areas in general, where they fly near to the ground, in search of prey.^[1]

Behavior

This species will often burrow underground, find, sting, and lay eggs on a grub, and build a cell around it, covering up the hole.^[1]