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Size equivalence, seasonal synchronicity, geospatial sympatry, habitat specificity, and host-searching behavior implicate the spider wasp Chalcochares hirsutifemur (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae) as an obligate parasitoid on species of the wafer-lid spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae) on coastal sandy back dunes in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, CA. This is substantiated by 2010–2022 macrophotographs, videos, and field observations. Such host evidence supports recent unpublished phylogenomic studies that place Chalcochares as a sister genus of the spider wasp tribe Aporini, in which all species are known obligate parasitoids on trapdoor spiders and related Mygalomorphae. Chalcochares hirsutifemur and C. engleharti (Banks) are separated based on morphological, geographic, and probable host spider differences. Resource partitioning on the coastal sand dunes between C. hirsutifemur and three species of smaller Aporus Spinola is proposed.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8F9A67EF-E272-4B7B-BD42-2AC9FD9CBE7B
The first host record for the North American spider wasp Cryptocheilus severini Banks (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México is introduced with pertinent observation information. The genus Cryptocheilus Panzer in North America is briefly described, its nesting habitat and prey transport outlined, and host specificity detailed.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:65404A9D-0B4C-4F7B-B8E2-0301EE922EF4
We present 112 new and unusual host records for 63 species and subspecies of Pompilidae (Hymenoptera) from the Western Hemisphere in modified taxonomic order according to the Synoptic Catalog of Hymenoptera (Krombein 1979). These records supplement those reported in a recent study by Kurczewski et al. (2020b). New and atypical genus and species host records are given for the genera Calopompilus Ashmead, Herbstellus Wahis, Pepsis Fabricius, Priocnessus Banks, Entypus Dahlbom, Pompilocalus RoigAlsina, Sphictostethus Kohl, Priocnemis Schiødte, Caliadurgus Fabricius, Epipompilus Kohl, Auplopus Spinola, Ageniella Banks, Eragenia Banks, Agenioideus Ashmead, Sericopompilus Howard, Poecilopompilus Ashmead, Tachypompilus Ashmead, and Priochilus (Fabricius). New host spider families are introduced for species of Calopompilus (Nemesiidae), Pepsis (Idiopidae, Pycnothelidae), Priocnessus (Euagridae), Entypus (Agelenidae), Ageniella (Theridiidae, Zoropsidae), Agenioideus (Theridiidae), Poecilopompilus (Salticidae), Tachypompilus (Anyphaenidae, Xenoctenidae, Pycnothelidae), Xerochares (Sparassidae), and Priochilus (Agelenidae). Curicaberis ?culiacans Rheims (Sparassidae), as prey of Xerochares expulsus (Schulz), is the first host record for this rare monotypic genus. Four new host spider families are reported from the Western Hemisphere for the first time: Idiopidae for Pepsis terminata, Pycnothelidae for Pepsis completa Smith and Tachypompilus mendozae (Dalla Torre), Euagridae for Priocnessus hurdi Dreisbach, and Xenoctenidae for T. mendozae. Pycnothelidae represents the first host record of a mygalomorph spider [Acanthogonatus ?incursus (Chamberlin)] for the worldwide genus Tachypompilus, based on more than 2500 host records. Amputation of the host spider’s legs and Ageniellini method of prey transport is highly unique in Poecilopompilus mixtus.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:48EC3DE6-45D1-40E2-8C4D-2D8788058CAC
Hurd (1952), in revising the Nearctic species of Pepsis Fabricius, separated P. cerberus Lucas from P. elegans Lepeletier based on external morphology and geography. Vardy (2005), in his Western Hemisphere Pepsis revision, combined these taxa and several Neotropical color and structural variants in a broad definition of P. menechma Lepeletier extending across ~11,250 km and two continents. Vardy (2005) synonymized the familiar and well-documented, 160-year-old P. elegans under P. menechma probably because it appeared several pages later in Lepeletier’s (1845) Histoire Naturelle des Insectes. Hyménoptères. Vardy’s (2005) interpretation of Pepsis menechma as a viable species presents a taxonomic and nomenclatural problem. He violated the principle of nomenclatural stability in synonymizing the widely and established species names P. elegans and P. cerberus under P. menechma, a name that had not been used for 160 years. Recent discoveries warrant a re-evaluation of the problematic taxonomy of this species complex. Morphological and ecological divergence of P. elegans and its sister taxon, P. cerberus, combined with their narrow sympatric distribution justifies species recognition. Hurd’s (1952) two species concept for P. elegans and P. cerberus is more practicable, useful, and nomenclaturally acceptable than Vardy’s (2005) P. menechma. Pepsis cerberus Lucas and P. elegans Lepeletier should be reinstated as species and removed from the synonymy of Pepsis menechma Lepeletier.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F59B3131-74DE-4704-9936-337E380BF3E0
This paper is the sequel to a 20 year-long (2002–2021) study of geographic variation in host selection in the common American spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) Entypus unifasciatus (Say) (Pepsini) and Tachypompilus ferrugineus (Say) (Pompilini) (rusty spider wasp). Geography and host spider family are strongly linked in both species when 3387 host spider locality records from the years 1918–2021 are mapped. Entypus unifasciatus lycosid host records are plentiful from 43–44° N in the United States and southern Ontario to northern Mexico. Tachypompilus ferrugineus lycosid host records are abundant from southern Ontario and New England southward to Mexico east of the Rocky Mountains. The vast majority (~80%) of E. unifasciatus and T. ferrugineus pisaurid host records are from the southeastern United States. Trechaleid host records for E. unifasciatus and T. ferrugineus are predominant in southern Mexico and Central America,
while ctenid host records for these spider wasps are prevalent in Central America and, especially, South America. All E. unifasciatus sparassid host records are from extreme southwestern United States and northern Mexico, whereas T. ferrugineus sparassid host records are scattered from Texas, Florida and Hispaniola/Puerto Rico southward to Panama and Brazil. Based on this study Lycosidae is the predominant host spider family in the Americas for E. unifasciatus (83.1%) and T. ferrugineus (64.0%) followed by Pisauridae (4.9%, 24.8%), Trechaleidae (4.2%, 6.0%), Ctenidae (4.3%, 2.7%), and Sparassidae (3.1%, 1.6%). Lycosidae and Pisauridae are overrepresented in this study as most host records (88.1%) are from the United States and Ontario, Canada where such species are abundant. Trechaleidae and Ctenidae are grossly underrepresented as host records from Mexico, Central America and South America are scarce (11.9%). Zoropsidae/Miturgidae and Zoropsidae / Agelenidae / Selenopidae are atypical host spider families for E. unifasciatus (0.2%, 0.2%) and T. ferrugineus (0.7%, 0.2%, <0.1%), respectively. Rabidosa rabida (Walckenaer) (Lycosidae) (rabid wolf spider) is the predominant host spider species for both E. unifasciatus (47.7%) and T. ferrugineus (48.0%) based mainly on United States host records.
Geography and host spider family are strongly linked in the spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) Entypus unifasciatus (Say) and Tachypompilus ferrugineus (Say) (rusty spider wasp) when 2031 host spider locality records from the years 1918–2020 are mapped. Entypus unifasciatus lycosid host records are plentiful from 43–44° N in the U.S. to northern Mexico. Tachypompilus ferrugineus lycosid host records are numerous from southern Ontario and New England to Mexico east of the Rocky Mountains. Most E. unifasciatus and T. ferrugineus pisaurid host records are from the SE U.S. Trechaleid host records for E. unifasciatus and T. ferrugineus are predominant in southern Mexico and Central America, while ctenid host records for these species are prevalent in northern South America. All E. unifasciatus sparassid host records are from extreme SW U.S. and Mexico, whereas T. ferrugineus sparassid host records are scattered from Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico to Panama. Lycosidae are the predominant host spider family in the Americas for E. unifasciatus (80.3%) and T. ferrugineus (67.4%) followed by Pisauridae (5.4%, 21.7%), Trechaleidae (4.8%, 6.8%), Ctenidae (4.6%, 1.8%), and Sparassidae (4.3%, 1.5%). Lycosidae and Pisauridae are overrepresented in this study as the vast majority of host records (87.8%) are from the U.S. and Ontario, Canada where such species are abundant. Trechaleidae and Ctenidae are grossly underrepresented as host records from Mexico, Central America and South America are scarce (12.2%). Zoropsidae/Miturgidae and Zoropsidae/Agelenidae are atypical host families for E. unifasciatus (0.3%, 0.3%) and T. ferrugineus (0.4%, 0.4%), respectively. Rabidosa rabida (Walckenaer) (Lycosidae) (rabid wolf spider) is the predominant host spider species for both E. unifasciatus (56.8%) and T. ferrugineus (58.3%).
Close-up photographs of nest entry, nest closure and prey transport taken on sandy coastal back dunes in Santa Barbara County, CA by Alice J. Abela substantiate and enhance written descriptions of these nesting behavior components in Miscophus californicus (Ashmead) [=M. laticeps (Ashmead)] (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). Dictynidae (Dictyna Sundevall or Emblyna Chamberlin) is introduced as a new host family and host spider leg amputation is revealed for the first time for this small miscophine wasp.
Four online photographs from Oaxaca, Mexico taken by N. R. Jenzen-Jones and posted on inaturalist.org reveal Selenops sp., probably S. mexicanus Keyserling (Arachnida: Araneae: Selenopidae), as a new host spider species, genus and family for the common and widespread American spider wasp Tachypompilus ferrugineus (Say) (rusty spider wasp). The wasp transported the immobilized spider up an exterior stucco wall of a house, dorsal side upward, walking backwards for 3m to her nest in a gap between the wooden planking and stucco wall beneath the roof, while grasping the femur of its right pedipalp with her mandibles.
After 105 years of study and 425 recent natural photographs, the host spider and nesting behavior of Pepsis elegans Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) remain a mystery. Pepsis elegans is the only species in the large and impressive genus Pepsis Fabricius that lives east of the Mississippi River, mainly in the southern U.S. The other 14 Nearctic Pepsis species inhabit the southern U.S. west of the Mississippi River and northern Mexico. They capture and provision their nests with large, hairy, heavy-bodied, stout-legged tarantulas of the genus Aphonopelma Pocock (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae), the only native theraphosid genus in this region. There are no tarantulas east of the Mississippi River, except in East Baton Rouge Parish, LA, and no valid host spider records or nesting biology information for P. elegans, the largest spider wasp in the eastern US. Rau and Rau’s (1918) questionable field observation of this secretive, dark, violaceous-winged spider wasp yielded no nest, host spider or wasp specimen, and only initiated questions about its identification and nesting biology. The method of host spider transport, as described in Rau and Rau’s (1918) observation, is identical with that of Entypus fulvicornis (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae), a species similar in size and color to P. elegans and often misidentified as such and vice versa. Potential host spider for P. elegans may include cork-lid trapdoor spiders in the genus Ummidia Thorell, especially U. audouini (Lucas) (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Halonoproctidae). This spider is abundant, sizeable, and stout enough to provide sufficient food for the developing P. elegans larva. The genus Ummidia and P. elegans have nearly identical geographic location maps and occur in the same habitat. Pepsis elegans could conveniently use the spider’s burrow as a nest without having to excavate one from the ground surface and be detected by the burrowing activity or lengthy, arduous, and cumbersome host spider transport. Pepsis elegans females from various localities had dried mud on the forewings and body inferring they were underground in moist, fine-grained soil as in a burrow. Females were active at night introducing the possibility of cryptic nocturnal nesting, as in some other Pepsis species. Ummidia audouini is nocturnally accessible in its burrow entrance, holding the trapdoor slightly ajar as it waits in the darkness to ambush unsuspecting prey. Punzo’s (2005) study of the closely related, orange-amber-winged, southwestern U. S. and Mexican P. cerberus Lucas is questionable based on the spider misidentification, possible wasp misidentification, and incompatible spider wasp-tarantula size difference. The host of P. cerberus and P. novitia Banks, a possible P. cerberus × P. elegans hybrid (Hurd 1952), is likely the southwestern wafer-lid spider Eucteniza relata (O. P.-Cambridge) (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae) (Gillaspy 1990) and not Aphonopelma as indicated by Punzo (2005).
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A5795DAA-ABE6-494D-A6A5-1BCA9D84D0C7
Macrophotographs in series taken by Alice Abela on sandy coastal dunes in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, CA in 2010–2021 supplement and enhance F. X. Williams (1928) study of the ecology and nesting behavior of the trapdoor spider-hunting spider wasp Aporus (Plectraporus) hirsutus (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Aporini). Abela’s macrophotographs and observations provide new details of adult wasp feeding, functional morphology, hunting, digging and prey transport, and host spider trapdoor, entrance, burrow structure, host capture and escape activity. Newly reported host records from this study and online photographs expand A. hirsutus host selection in the large wafer-lid trapdoor spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae). The A. hirsutus California geographic distribution map by Wasbauer and Kimsey (1985) is updated, thereby providing a broader definition of intraspecific variation in this species.