Tiphiidae

The Tiphiidae (also known as tiphiid wasps,[1] flower wasps,[2][note 1] or tiphiid flower wasps[3]) are a family of large, solitary wasps whose larvae are parasitoids of various beetle larvae, especially those in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea.

[4] Until recently, this family contained several additional subfamilies, but multiple studies have independently confirmed that these comprise a separate lineage, and are now classified in the family Thynnidae.

[5][6] The females of some Brachycistidinae are wingless, and hunt ground-dwelling (fossorial) beetle larvae.

[4] The prey is paralysed with the female's sting, and an egg is laid on it so the wasp larva has a ready supply of food.

As some of the ground-dwelling scarab species attacked by tiphiids are pests, some of these wasps are considered beneficial as biological control agents.

The male of a species of Brachycistidinae photographed in Nevada
A female Tiphia femorata photographed in Italy