Sphecoid (Noun)
Meaning
Any of various solitary wasps.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The sphecoid wasp nested in the sandy bank near the stream, carefully provisioning its young with paralyzed insects.
- Entomologists recognize several thousand species of sphecoids, many of which are parasitic or predatory on other arthropods.
- In gardens and parks, sphecoids can be valuable allies in controlling pest populations of flies, beetles, and aphids.
- One sphecoid, the mud dauber wasp, is well known for its habit of constructing complex nests from mud pellets.
- Like many other sphecoids, the blue mud dauber wasp preys on spiders and their eggs, helping to regulate local spider populations.