Synagris is an Afrotropical genus of large potter wasps. Several Synagris wasps are strongly sexually dimorphic and males bear notable morphological secondary sexual traits including metasomal lamellar or angular protruding structures and hornlike or tusklike mandibular and/or clypeal projections.
The few species of Synagris with known biology are also notable for guarding their nests and even attending and feeding their larvae during their development (progressive provisioning), a primitively social behavior unusual among eumenines, which normally practice mass provisioning.
There are 3 subgenera and 24 species currently recognized, with many species formerly in the genus now removed to the genera Pseudagris and Rhynchagris.
Species Subgenus Hypagris de Saussure, 1855 Synagris abyssinica Guerin, 1848 Synagris aestuans (Fabricius, 1781) Synagris analis Saussure, 1856 Synagris biplagiata Gusenleitner, 2005 Synagris calida (Linnaeus, 1758) Synagris crassipes Kohl, 1894 Synagris elephas Andre, 1895 Synagris fasciata Mocsary, 1903 Synagris kohli Maidl, 1914 Synagris maxillosa Saussure, 1863 Synagris mirabilis Guerin, 1848 Synagris negusi Buysson, 1906 Synagris rubescens Giordani Soika, 1989 Synagris spiniventris (Illiger, 1802) Synagris spinosuscula Saussure, 1852 Synagris stridens Giordani Soika, 1987
Subgenus Paragris de Saussure, 1855 Synagris huberti de Saussure, 1855 Synagris ornatissima Maidl, 1914 Synagris rufopicta Tullgren, 1904
Subgenus Synagris Latreille, 1802 Synagris cornuta (Linnaeus, 1758) Synagris fulva Mocsary, 1903 Synagris proserpina Gribodo, 1891 Synagris similis Maidl, 1914
References
Bequaert, J. 1918. Vespidae of the Belgian Congo. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 39: 1–384.
External links ucalgaryca