Club Horned Wood Borer Wasp

Trypoxylon clavicerum is a solitary hunting wasp in the family Crabronidae, subfamily Trypoxylinae. Like other members of the genus Trypoxylon, it is a spider hunter that provisions tubular nest cells with paralyzed spiders as food for its larvae. Females construct nests in pre-existing cavities such as hollow plant stems, old wood-boring beetle tunnels, or crevices in dead wood and soil banks. The species name clavicerum refers to the club-shaped antenna tips. T. clavicerum is distributed across Europe and parts of the Palearctic, inhabiting woodland edges, hedgerows, meadows, gardens, and scrubby areas where both nesting sites and suitable prey spiders are available. Males often guard nest entrances, chasing away parasitic flies and competing males. The Trypoxylon genus is notable for its polygynous or communal nesting tendencies in some species and for behavioral studies on mate guarding. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN given its wide distribution and general abundance in diverse semi-natural habitats. Like many solitary bees and wasps, T. clavicerum benefits from habitat management that maintains bare soil, dead wood, and floral resources.