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Image Credits: Scoliid Wasp sketch by Hannah Nadel in 'Rare Invertebrates of the South Okanagan' brochure The Scoliid or Scarab-hunter Wasps, being huge, grey and yellow wasps, are easily mistaken for yellow-jacket wasps (paper wasps). Unlike these species however, they lack the yellow marks on their head and thorax. Campsomeris pilipes are large, hairy, robust wasps, (26-30 mm) long. Males differ from male velvet-ants in being larger, less hairy, and darker in colour. Their head, antennae, thorax, and legs are jet-black. The abdomen is largely yellow with black banding. Unlike the wingless velvet-ant females, scoliid females are winged. In both sexes the dark wing membrane beyond the closed cells has many lengthwise wrinkles near the outer margin.
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British Columbia
North America They can be seen hovering low over sandy soil in meadows and forest edges, where the females seek out the burrowing larvae of the scarab beetles. In British Columbia, Campsomeris pilipes lives in the sandy grasslands where sagebrush and antelope-brush grow. Rare invertebrates of the south Okanagan and Similkameen valleys are threatened not by direct exploitation, but by loss or degradation of their habitats. They are at risk because their ecosystems are at risk. The grasslands of the southern interior of the province are a valuable agricultural resource, and their rich soils have been ploughed and irrigated to produce tree fruits, grapes, and vegetables. Pesticide use has probably had a great impact on native insects living in around agricultural areas. As well, heavy grazing has altered the plant composition of grasslands, changing the invertebrate communities. The massive diversity of invertebrate species in British Columbia makes it very difficult for entomologists to do a literature or collection survey to determine which species are endangered or threatened. Specialized, detailed surveys will be required for almost every species that is suspected of being endangered. Despite a general ignorance about invertebrate distribution, information is known about a number of species that are confined to threatened habitats of very limited extent in the Thompson-Okanagan valleys. Scoliid wasp larvae are external parasites of the larvae of scarab beetles. This gives the family its common name, Scarab-hunter Wasps. The female of Campsomeris pilipes burrows in soil or wood debris in search of beetle larvae. When it finds a larva, the wasp stings and paralyzes it. She then digs around it, forming a small chamber. The wasp then deposits an egg on the host. The wasp larvae feed on the beetle larva and then pupate in the cell-like chamber. If disturbed, females can sting painfully. Adult Scoliid Wasps visit flowers and feed on nectar. Related On-line Sites to Visit
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