Zyzzyx
963787
205063388
2008-04-12T03:52:55Z
ENeville
301850
condensing hatnote
{{distinguish|Zzyzx}}
{{Taxobox
| name = ''Zyzzyx''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Arthropod]]a
| classis = [[Insect]]a
| ordo = [[Hymenoptera]]
| subordo = [[Apocrita]]
| superfamilia = [[Apoidea]]
| familia = [[Crabronidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Bembicinae]]
| genus = '''''Zyzzyx'''''
| genus_authority = Pate, 1937
| species = '''''Z. chilensis'''''
| binomial = ''Zyzzyx chilensis''
| binomial_authority = [[Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz|Eschscholz]], 1822
}}
'''Zyzzyx''' is a [[monospecific]] genus of [[sand wasp]], containing a brightly-colored, medium-sized species, '''''Z. chilensis''''', named after the sound they make while flying. They were first studied in detail by H. Janvier (a.k.a. [[Claude-Joseph]]) in [[1928]], more than 100 years after they were first described.
They are primarily predators on [[fly|flies]], but have been observed to consume [[Skipper (butterfly)|skipper]]s.
==References==
* Genise, J.F., "Estudios sobre el comportamiento de nidificación de Bembicini neotropicales VI. ''Zyzzyx chilensis'' (Eschscholz) (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae)" ''Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argentina'' 41: 289-298 (1982)
* Howard E. Evans, "A Review of Prey Choice in Bembicine Sand Wasps (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)" ''Neotropical Entomology'' 31(1): 001-011 (2002) (PDF at [http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ne/v31n1/11172.pdf])
==External links==
* [http://vidal.med.puc.cl/ZyzzChilensis.html Description of ''Z. chilensis'', with pictures (in Spanish)]
* [http://www.calacademy.org/research/entomology/Entomology_Resources/Hymenoptera/sphecidae/Genera_and_species_PDF/Zyzzyx.pdf PDF file at Calacademy with refs and history of taxonomy]
[[Category:Apoidea]]
[[Category:Biological pest control agents]]
{{Hymenoptera-stub}}