Ageniellini, known as the mud-nesting spider wasps, is a tribe of spider wasps in the subfamily Pepsinae.
Description The Ageniellini are slender-bodied spider wasps. They are distinguished from most other Pompilidae by their petiolate abdominal structure and typical absence of a transverse carina on the first segment of the gaster. These traits are, however, shared with Melanagenia of the tribe Pepsini, which is separated by the lack of malar space, deep lateral sulcus of the pronotum, and wing venation.
Distribution The tribe Ageniellini is cosmopolitan.
Behavior Members of Ageniellini have one of three lifestyles that either invade the nests of other spider wasp nests as kleptoparasites, build their own nests in dry soil, or build thimble-shaped nests out of mud. The most common of these nesting strategies is building mud nests, which are frequently communal in contrast to most other spider wasp groups. As typical of the rest of the family, the Ageniellini provision their nests with a single spider and then lay an egg on it. Most of the species remove the legs of their spider prey before bringing it to the nest. Amputation of spider legs is rarely done by species other than those of the Ageniellini.Yamaguchi, S., Shimizu, A., Yamasaki, T., Kurczewski, F. E., Yoshimura, J., & Pitts, J. P. (2022). First record of host spider amputation by the Japanese spider wasp Cyphononyx fulvognathus (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae). Acta Arachnologica, 71(2), 125-127. PDF
Genera There are 17 genera within Ageniellini.
Ageniella Banks, 1912 Atopagenia Wasbauer, 1987 Auplopus Spinola, 1841 Cyemagenia Arnold, 1946 Dichragenia Haupt, 1950 Dimorphagenia Evans, 1973 Eragenia Banks, 1946 Machaerothrix Haupt, 1938 Macromerella Banks, 1934 Macromeris Lepeletier, 1831 Melanagenia Wahis, 2009 Mystacagenia Evans, 1973 Paragenia Bingham, 1896 Phanagenia Banks, 1933 Phanochilus Banks, 1944 Poecilagenia Haupt, 1926 Priocnemella Banks, 1925
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