Sceliphron

As is the case with many insect genera, there are many tropical species. Some common temperate species include S. caementarium and S. curvatum.

Like other solitary wasps, Sceliphron species are not aggressive unless threatened. They are sometimes regarded as beneficial due to their control of spider populations, though the spiders themselves may be beneficial in controlling pest insects. Species such as Sceliphron curvatum are invasive in some parts of Europe, where they have been observed to rapidly increase their range in recent years.

Sceliphron species

There are 34 valid species of Sceliphron.

• Sceliphron arabs (Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845)
• Sceliphron argentifrons (Cresson, 1916)
• Sceliphron asiaticum (Linnaeus, 1758); Neotropics

Type locality In Indiis was interpreted as India; syn. S. figulum

• Sceliphron assimile (Dahlbom, 1843) – Clayman's mud dauber; Texas, Mexico and Caribbean island
• Sceliphron aterrimum (Marquet, 1875)
• Sceliphron caementarium (Drury, 1773) (Sphex) – black and yellow mud dauber, yellow-legged mud dauber, black-waisted mud dauber

North America, established in Europe and Pacific islands by the 1970s

• Sceliphron coromandelicum (Lepeletier, 1845)
• Sceliphron curvatum (Smith, 1870) – Asian mud dauber; Asia, Europe since 1970s
• Sceliphron deforme (F. Smith, 1856); Asia, reported from Europe in 2004
• Sceliphron destillatorium (Illiger, 1807); southern Palaearctic
• Sceliphron fasciatum (Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845)
• Sceliphron fervens (F. Smith, 1858)
• Sceliphron fistularium (Dahlbom, 1843); Neotropics
• Sceliphron formosum (F. Smith, 1856); Australia
• Sceliphron fossuliferum (Gribodo, 1895)
• Sceliphron funestum Kohl, 1918
• Sceliphron fuscum Klug, 1801
• Sceliphron intrudens (F. Smith, 1858)
• Sceliphron isaaci Jha and Farooqi, 1995
• Sceliphron jamaicense Fabricius, 1775; Mexico, Caribbean islands
• Sceliphron javanum Lepeletier, 1845
• Sceliphron laetum (F. Smith, 1856); Australia
• Sceliphron madraspatanum (Fabricius, 1781); Mediterranean
• Sceliphron murarium (F. Smith, 1863)
• Sceliphron neobilineatum Jha and Farooqi, 1995
• Sceliphron paraintrudens Jha and Farooqi, 1995
• Sceliphron pietschmanni Kohl, 1918
• Sceliphron quartinae (Gribodo 1884)
• Sceliphron rectum Kohl, 1918
• Sceliphron rufopictum (F. Smith, 1856)
• Sceliphron seistaniensis Jha and Farooqi, 1995
• Sceliphron shestakovi Gussakovskij, 1928
• Sceliphron spirifex (Linnaeus, 1758); Africa, southern Europe
• Sceliphron unifasciatum (F. Smith, 1860)