Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 28, 2026

Pygodasis

Pygodasis is a New World genus of wasps in the family Scoliidae, formerly treated as a subgenus within Campsomeris.

Last revised
Jun 28, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
350 w
Citations
4
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Pygodasis
Pygodasis quadrimaculata female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Scoliidae
Tribe: Campsomerini
Genus: Pygodasis
Bradley, 1957

Pygodasis is a New World genus of wasps in the family Scoliidae (scoliid wasps), formerly treated as a subgenus within Campsomeris.1

Description and identification

Pygodasis are large wasps with an entirely black head, thorax, and tibial spurs. The abdomen is black, often with either yellow to orange spots or bands on the second and third tergites. The setae are usually black but in some species may be white or a mix of black and white. The wings may be hyaline, yellowish, or violaceous depending on the species.2

Distribution

Species of this genus occur from the United States south to Argentina.2

Species

Species within this genus include:3

  • Pygodasis bistrimaculata (Lepeletier, 1845)
  • Pygodasis cineraria (Sichel, 1864)
  • Pygodasis columbiensis (Bradley, 1945)
  • Pygodasis cristata (Bradley, 1945)
  • Pygodasis ephippium (Say, 1837) – saddleback scoliid wasp
    • Pygodasis ephippium ephippium (Say, 1837)
    • Pygodasis ephippium wagneriana (de Saussure, 1864)
  • Pygodasis hyalina (de Saussure, 1864)
  • Pygodasis ianthina (Bradley, 1945)
  • Pygodasis lucasi (de Saussure, 1858)
  • Pygodasis quadrimaculata (Fabricus, 1775) – large four-spotted scoliid wasp
  • Pygodasis spegazzini (Bréthes, 1910)
  • Pygodasis terrestris (de Saussure, 1858)
  • Pygodasis veroninae (Schrottky, 1910)
  • Pygodasis vespiformis (de Saussure, 1858)
  • Pygodasis vittata (Sichel, 1864)
    • Pygodasis vittata vittata (Sichel, 1864)
    • Pygodasis vittata banksi (Bradley, 1945)
  • P. bistrimaculata photographed in Argentina.
    P. bistrimaculata photographed in Argentina.
  • P. ephippium ephippium photographed in Nuevo León, Mexico.
    P. ephippium ephippium photographed in Nuevo León, Mexico.
  • P. ephippium wagneriana photographed in Ecuador.
    P. ephippium wagneriana photographed in Ecuador.
  • P. quadrimaculata photographed in Florida.
    P. quadrimaculata photographed in Florida.
  • P. terrestris photographed in Argentina.
    P. terrestris photographed in Argentina.
References

References

  1. Khouri, Z.; Gillung, J.P.; Kimsey, L.S. (2022). "The evolutionary history of mammoth wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae)". bioRxiv 10.1101/2022.01.24.474473.
  2. Bradley, James Chester (1957). "The Taxa of Campsomeris (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) Occurring in the New World". Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 83 (2): 65–77. JSTOR 25077743.
  3. Osten, T. (2005). "Checkliste der Dolchwespen der Welt (Insecta: Hymenoptera, Scoliidae). Teil 1: Proscoliinae und Scoliinae: Campsomerini. Teil 2: Scoliinae: Scoliini. Teil 3: Literatur" [Checklist of the Scoliidae of the World. Part 1: Proscoliinae and Scoliinae: Campsomerini. Part 2: Scoliinae: Scoliini. Part 3: Literature] (PDF). Bericht der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Augsburg (in German). 62 (220–221): 1–62. Retrieved 2019-07-18.