Ferton (1914) stated that he had reported in 1912 that this species hunted Hemiptera, but that this observation was a lapsus. Nesting site.—In the ground of sandy woodlot or border of dry woods; the nest is a hole 5.5 to 8 cm. long ending in a horizontal cell. Grandi (1928) stated that the entrance to the nest descended obliquely for 5 to 6 cm. and ended 4 cm. below the surface of the ground. Behavior.—Two cockroaches, either sex, adults or nymphs, were stored in the cell (Adlerz, 1903; Grandi, 1928). The wasp laid her egg on the first prey brought, attaching it behind the front coxa. The cockroaches were not excitable and their antennae had not been injured. Grandi (1928) stated that the claws of the hind tarsi of the victims may be amputated. The hatched larva may consume one of its victims in four days leaving only the head, pronotum, tegmina, wings, and the urosternum.
Podium abdominale (Perty)
Synonymy.—Trigonopsis abdominalis Perty [Kohl, 1902].
Natural hosts.—Cockroaches, nymphs, Ecuador (Williams, 1928): These wasps are apparently mainly arboreal mud daubers. The female wasp constructs a mud nest on underside of a palm leaf. Wasp egg is attached behind one of the forecoxae of the cockroach. Several cockroaches are stored in each nest. The prey is not immobilized as a result of the sting, and its antennae are left intact.
Podium carolina Rohwer
Natural host.—Parcoblatta pensylvanica, nymphs (Rau, 1937): Nesting sites are mud nests of Sceliphron caementarium (Drury). One to three cockroach nymphs are stored per nest; mud partitions are placed in tube; the nest is plugged with mud which is coated with resin. Distribution.—U.S.A., New York to North Carolina (Murray, 1951); Florida (Krombein and Evans, 1955).
Podium dubium Taschenberg
Natural hosts.—Epilamprine cockroaches, Brazil (Williams, 1928): Burrows, lenticular in cross section, are found on shaded trails. The wasp's habits are similar to those of P. flavipenne and P. haematogastrum.
Podium flavipenne Lepeletier
Natural host.—Epilampra abdomen-nigrum, British Guiana (Williams, 1928): Nesting site.—Burrows, about 2 inches deep and lenticular in cross section, are dug in the ground in well-drained, partly sheltered areas; also old Podium nests are used. Behavior.—The wasp stings the cockroach to helplessness and flies with it back to her nest where the host may recover from the sting; one or more cockroaches are stored per nest; the egg is deposited behind the forecoxa while the cockroach is still outside the burrow. The nest is sealed with mud. The larva feeds on most of the cockroach and leaves only some heavily sclerotized portions in the cell. In 153 nests examined, there was an average of 2.2 ± 0.08 [standard error computed from cited data] cockroaches per cell; four nests contained five cockroaches apiece. Of the 331 cockroaches in the nests, only 6 percent were adults. Development.—Egg hatches in about 2 days; larva feeds about 4 days and pupates about 2 weeks later; adult emerges about 10-12 days later.