| Poecilopompilus interruptus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Pompilidae |
| Genus: | Poecilopompilus |
| Species: | P. interruptus |
| Binomial name | |
| Poecilopompilus interruptus | |
| Synonyms | |
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Poecilopompilus interruptus is a species of New World spider wasps.
A highly variable spider wasp, which is 13 mm in length. P. interruptus has long orange antennae, bold rufous-brown and yellow bands on the mesosoma with yellow and brown markings on the thorax. Its legs are brown and yellow and the wasp's wings are brown. The amount of red, brown and yellow markings shows great individual variation. The antennae of males are straight or gently curved while females have antennae that curl at the ends. [3] Poecilopompilus wasps may be a Müllerian mimics [4] of various wasp species and this species appears to mimic paper wasps of the genus Polistes . [3] To distinguish this species from P. algidus the observer needs to examine the spines on the front tarsi of females and the inner margin of the eyes, P. interruptus females have four weak spines on the front tarsi in females and parallel inner eye margins while P. algidus has three strong spines and shows convergent inner eye margins. [4]
In California female Poecilopompilus interruptus have been collected on extrafloral nectaries of Gossypium hirsutum and both sexes captured at extrafloral nectaries of Helianthus annuus . Flowers visited include Chrysothamnus sp., Medicago sativa , Psilostrophe cooperi , Wislizenia refracta , Eriogonum fasciculatum , Eriogonum thomasii , Ribes aureum , Acacia angustissima and Penstemon rydbergii . There is some evidence that females feed on occasion on haemolymph of captured spiders (Evans and Yoshimoto, 1962). The main prey taken consists of spiders of the family Araneidae. [2]
There are four recognised subspecies: [1]
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp (Pompilidae) that preys on tarantulas. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis. They are one of the largest parasitoid wasps, using their sting to paralyze their prey before dragging it to a brood nest as living food; a single egg is laid on the prey, hatching to a larva which eats the still-living prey.
Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary, and most capture and paralyze prey, though members of the subfamily Ceropalinae are kleptoparasites of other pompilids, or ectoparasitoids of living spiders.
Episyron quinquenotatus, the white-trimmed black wasp, is a North American species of pompilid spider hunting wasp.
Pompilus cinereus, the leaden spider wasp is the most widespread species of the Pompilus spider wasps, and throughout a large proportion of its wide distribution is the only species of Pompilus. It is the type species of the genus Pompilus and therefore of the family Pompilidae.
Dipogon subintermedius is a spider wasp from the family Pompilidae.
Anoplius nigerrimus is one of the most common spider wasps, or pompilids, in Europe. They are mostly black and the females are 6-8 mm long while males measure 5-8 mm. This species may be distinguished from the related Anoplius concinnus and Anoplius caviventris by the 20 setae, or hairs, on the forehead rather than 60 or 45.
Sphictostethus nitidus, the golden hunter wasp or red spider wasp, is a species of pepsid spider wasp endemic to New Zealand.
Evagetes crassicornis is a kleptoparasitic spider wasp with a holarctic distribution.
Agenioideus nigricornis, the redback spider-hunting wasp, is a species of spider wasp from the subfamily Pompilinae, found in Australia. It is a parasitoid of the venomous redback spider.
Polistes carnifex is a neotropical vespid wasp in the cosmopolitan genus Polistes, known for its extremely painful and potent sting. The wasp is native to Central and South America. It is a very large yellow and brown paper wasp that establishes small colonies which build nests under the eaves of buildings or suspended from branches. The colonies are founded by solitary queens. Not all nests have a female with developed ovaries. Foraging adults bring nectar and macerated prey back to the nest to feed to the developing larvae which are individually housed in separate cells in the nest. It has mandibles with teeth.
Hemipepsis ustulata is a species of tarantula hawk wasp native to the Southwestern United States. Tarantula hawks are a large, conspicuous family of long-legged wasps which prey on tarantulas. They use their long legs to grapple with their prey before paralyzing them with a powerful sting. Their stings are ranked second-most painful in the insect world. They are solitary, displaying lekking territorial behavior in their mating rituals.
Pepsis albocincta is a species of spider wasps belonging to the family Pompilidae.
Auplopus albifrons is a spider wasp of the family Pompilidae.
Ireangelus is a genus of kleptoparasitic spider wasps from the sub-family Ceropalinae of the family Pompilidae. The genus has a pan tropical distribution, being known from Oriental, Neotropical, Australian, eastern Palearctic, and Madagascan Zoogeographic regions being best represented in the Neotropics. Irenangelus is closely related to the more widespread genus Ceropales, the two genera forming a monophyletic subfamily, Ceropalinae within the Pompilidae. This is regarded as the most basal grouping of the Pompilidae but this view is problematic because of the kleptoparasitic life history of the Ceropalines, it is now considered that they Ceropalines and other pompilids evolved from a common ectoparasitoid ancestor.
Tachypompilus ferrugineus, the rusty spider wasp, red-tailed spider hunter, or sometimes red-tailed spider wasp is a species of spider wasp from the Americas. It preys mainly on wandering spiders, especially wolf spiders.
The red-tailed spider hunter is a species of spider wasp from western North America.
Poecilopompilus is a fossorial genus of the family Pomplidae found in the New World. The main prey of these wasps are spiders of the family Araneidae.
Poecilopompilus algidus is a species of spider wasp which is widespread in the Americas.
Pepsis grossa is a very large species of pepsine spider wasp from the southern part of North America, south to northern South America. It preys on tarantula spiders, giving rise to the name tarantula hawk for the wasps in the genus Pepsis and the related Hemipepsis. Only the females hunt, so only they are capable of delivering a sting, which is considered the second most painful of any insect sting; scoring 4.0 on the Schmidt sting pain index compared to the bullet ant's 4.0+. It is the state insect of New Mexico. The colour morphs are the xanthic orange-winged form and the melanic black winged form. In northern South America, a third form, known as "lygamorphic", has a dark base to the wings which have dark amber median patches and a pale tip.
Allochares azureus is a species of spider wasp from the family Pompilidae, it is the only member of the monotypic genus Allochares. It occurs in the southern part of North America and is a specialist parasitoid of the Southern house spider.