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Pelecinus polyturator

Pelecinus polyturator

(Drury, 1773)

Family: Pelecinidae
Order: Hymenoptera
Class: Insecta
Phylum / Division: Arthropoda
Kingdom: Animalia

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Description


Pelecinus polyturator is a species of wasp in the family Pelecinidae. The large (up to 7 cm) glossy black insects are the most common and well-known members of the family. The adults drink nectar, and they live in crop fields, woods, and suburban gardens throughout North, Central, and South America. Their antennae are long and the females have an elongated, cylindrical, articulated metasoma. They are parasitoids that lay their eggs directly into grubs of the June beetle (genus Phyllophaga) buried in the soil. The adults can be found in the late summer.

Some populations of Pelecinus polyturator are parthenogenic; females do not require fertilization by males to reproduce. Females are common throughout its range, but males are rare in the United States and Canada specially in some populations, and more prevalent further south.

Source: Wikipedia, article Pelecinus polyturator. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 17/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


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Species photographs

Count: 6

Foto
Photography ID: 635180
  Adult

San Francisco
Jujuy
Argentina
03/03/2022
Maria Belén Dri
Foto
Photography ID: 619842
  Adult

El Rodeo, Ambato
Catamarca
Argentina
01/23/2025
Fabrizio García
Foto
Photography ID: 541628
♂
  Adult

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga
Jalisco
Mexico
07/14/2023
Jinis Tadeo
Foto
Photography ID: 424975
  Adult

Sarandi
Rocha
Uruguay
03/19/2016
Walter Liriel Gómez Umpierrez
Foto
Photography ID: 317386
♀
  Adult

Atocha - San Lorenzo
Salta
Argentina
02/03/2019
Gustavo Peretti


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Species vocalizations

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 Detail of places sorted by number of records






Species records

Count: 8



Page 1 of 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
224010123/01/2025ArgentinaCatamarcaEl Rodeo, AmbatoFabrizio García
179304614/07/2023MexicoJaliscoTlajomulco de ZúñigaJinis Tadeo
177146029/05/2023MexicoVeracruzOrizabaGonzalo Jiménez Herrera
228936203/03/2022ArgentinaJujuySan FranciscoMaria Belén Dri
138178618/03/2021ChileRegión de Los LagosOsornoAnaía Soto
139773722/01/2021ArgentinaJujuyRuta Provincial 83 (-23,648956, -64,937409)Jorge La Grotteria
88791203/02/2019ArgentinaSaltaEl Ceibal, Atocha - San LorenzoGustavo Peretti
133429219/03/2016UruguayRochaSarandiWalter Liriel Gómez Umpierrez
Page 1 of 1

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Pelecinus polyturator – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 25/09/2026.