A note on facultative kleptoparasitism in Prionyx kirbii (Hymenoptera : Sphecidae) as a consequence of multi-specific shared nesting site, with description of its prepupa

Observations of a female of Prionyx kirbii at an aggregation of Stizus continuus revealed an alternative nesting behaviour of the first wasp due to the presence of the second one. The overlap of some resources (prey, kind of soil) allowed P kirbii to act as a kleptoparasite of S. contintuus. The observed female often re-used as nests pre-existing S. continuus emergence holes, but no S. continutts nests. The prey were obtained sometimes by stealing the grasshoppers from S. continuus nests and/or by attacking the females while carrying the prey. From a review of interspecific kleptoparasitism among sphecoid wasps it appears that family Sphecidae includes the highest number of facultative parasitism cases and this finding is discussed. In addition, the description of the prepupa of P kirbii is given and is shown to be in agreement with the description of the mature larvae of the other species of the genus.