Ancistrocerus is a widely distributed genus of potter wasps present in many biogeographical regions of the world. They are nonpetiolate eumenine wasps with a transverse ridge at the bending summit of the first metasomal tergum and with a low and opaque propodeal lamella completely fused to the submarginal carina.

The name of this genus (meaning "hooked horn" for the back-curved last segments of the antennae characteristic of males of this genus and most other potter wasp genera) has been widely used as root in the construction of many other genus-level names for potter wasps with a nonpetiolated metasoma and normally bearing a transverse ridge on the first metasomal tergum, such as Ancistroceroides, Parancistrocerus, Orancistrocerus, Tachyancistrocerus, etc.

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