Aganacris

Aganacris are typically black and shiny with orange or yellow highlights. They typically average between 29 and 37 mm long. == Behavior ==

During the day, they typically make fast and jerking movements including rapid antennal probing, abdominal bouncing, and shifting their wings like foraging wasps. During the night they move more slowly and less like wasps. == Distribution ==

Aganacris are a neotropical group and have been collected across rain forests from Honduras to Bolivia. (Inaturalist observations, as of Oct 2025) Typically they are found on leaves from understory to mid canopy heights. == Mimicry models ==

Currently theorized models for mimicry: Hemipepsis mexicana for male A. velutina (prev. A. insectivora), Erimnophila wasps for A. sphex and male A. nitida (prev. A. pseudosphex) Also possibly Pepsis mexicana for male A. nitida. Juveniles are thought to be myrmecomorphic. == Taxonomy ==

Aganacris was originally coined from specimens in the British museum representing Aganacris micans which was later revised to be Scaphura nitida and then Aganacris nitida. Scaphura being the other genus of wasp mimicking Phanaeopterins which occur primarily in open savannah. On resurrection of the genus name Aganacris, S. sphex, S. nitida, and S. velutina were all re named as A. sphex, A. nitida, and A. velutina. A. pseudosphex and A. insectavora were described in the same publication. == Species ==

This genus contains three species. • Aganacris nitida (Perty, 1832) • Aganacris sphex (Rehn, 1918) • Aganacris velutina (Kirby, 1906) == References ==