Poemenia americana

Taxonomy

Poemenia americana are parasitic wasps belonging to the family Ichneumonidae and the subfamily Poemeniinae. They are also known as the American potter wasp. The species name "americana" of P. americana signifies that this species can be found in the Americas. The genus name "Poemenia" derives from Greek mythology, specifically referring to one of the Nereids, the sea nymphs. This could possibly be due to this wasp’s association with water or shoreline. This species is found primarily in North and Central America. Its geographic range extends from the southern United States, including states like Texas, Arizona, and Florida, down through Mexico and into parts of Central America. Poemenia americana was one of the more common Ichneumonid wasps in the Bee Atlas project, and was widely distributed throughout the state.

Description

Pomenia americana are medium-sized Ichneumonid wasps with an average length of 10 to 15mm. They look very similar to Poemenia albipes. The front wings have a small cell-like structure. The first abdominal segment is about 65% as long as the corresponding back segment. 

Nest Structure

Like most Ichneumonids, Poemenia americana do not build their own nests. Instead, they parasitize the nests of other insects. P. americana is known to parasitize various types of caterpillars, particularly those of moths and butterflies. Poemenia americana emerged from nests made by small resin wasps in the family Crabronidae in Bee Atlas blocks.

Hole Sizes

No information at this time.

Voltinism

This species appears to be univoltine throughout its range, completing one generation per year in Minnesota. 

Activity Period

No information at this time.

References

BugGuide.Net. (n.d.). Poemenia albipes (Cresson, 1865) - White-footed Potter Wasp. Retrieved from https://bugguide.net/node/view/450265

Discover Life. 2024. "Ichneumonidae." In Proceedings of the Ecological Society of America, vol. 6. Accessed May 30, 2024. https://www.discoverlife.org/proceedings/0000/6/html/Ichneumonidae.html

Khalaim, A. I., Ruíz-Cancino, E., & Coronado-Blanco, J. M. (2021). Darwin wasps of Mexico (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): the subfamilies Acaenitinae, Poemeniinae and Xoridinae. Zoosystematica Rossica, 30(2), 303-319.

Thank you to John Luhman for identifying all of our Ichneumonid specimens.