Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 57 Number 3 Article 1

7-31-1997

Spider wasps of Colorado (, Pompilidae): an annotated checklist

Howard E. Evans Colorado State University, Fort Collins

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Recommended Citation Evans, Howard E. (1997) "Spider wasps of Colorado (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae): an annotated checklist," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 57 : No. 3 , Article 1. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol57/iss3/1

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ISSN 00I7-36I4

VOLUME 57 31 JULY 1997 NO.3

Great Bas;n Nabualist 57(3), C> 1997, pp. 189-197

SPIDER WASPS OF COLORADO (HYMENOPTERA, POMPILIDAE): AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST

Howard E. Evansl

ABSTRAcr.--Qne hundred forty-three species of Pompi]idae are recorded from Colorado, slightly more than half the number occurring north of Mexico. Some of these occur principally at higher altitudes or in the northern part of the state; this group includes 5 species of Holarctic distribution. Others (such as the tarantula hawks, Pepsis) are prevalent across the southern third of the state and range south into New Mexico and often into Mexico. Still others are widely distributed wherever there is friable soil suitable for nesting. Certain genera are more or less restricted to preying upon certain spider taxa, while others are generalists and a few are cleptoparasites ofother Pompilidae.

Key words: Hymenoptera:, Pompili.dae, spider wasps, clistribution.

Spider wasps are ubiqUitous . occur­ "caught in a snow drift" at 13,000 feet (3900 m) ring wherever there are spiders. They use these on Mt. Rogers, Clear Creek County. This indi­ to provision their nests, employing vidual was undoubtedly blown there by the a single paralyzed spider per cell. In Colorado wind. they are most plentiful on the eastern plains, Most Colorado species are believed to be especially in sandy country along the valleys univo!tine, the adults active mid-June through of the Arkansas and South Platte rivers. How­ early September. Only I species, ever, they also occur Widely in the western tenebrosus (Cresson), is known 10 overwinter two-thirds of the state, including the moun­ as an adult: all others are believed to overwin­ tains. I have taken 61 species around my ter as diapausing larvae or pupae in their nest home, in open ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir cells. woodland at 2300 m in Larimer County. The In this report I list 143 species from Colo­ Holarctic species Anoplil'" nigerrimus (Scopoli) rado, slightly more than half the species known has been taken above timberline, at 3600 m on to occur north of Mexico. Only minimal data Trail Ridge, in Rocky Mountain National Park are included concerning habitat and behavior. (Evans 1951). A female ofAnoplius tellebf'OSUS Evans and Yoshimoto (1962) reviewed the (Cresson), in good condition in the University nesting behavior of species occurring in the ofColorado collection, is labeled as having been northeastern states, and many of these same

lDepartrnent ofEntoUlology, Colorado State Uoi.-emty. furt OJl.lins. co B0523.

189 190 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 57 species (and all genera) occur in Colorado. The The largest in our fauna (and most recent catalog of North American Hyme­ one of the largest in the world) is Pepsis for­ noptera (Kromhein et al. 1979) includes further mosa (Say), in which large females may have a references. Major papers on the systematics body length of 5 em and a wing span of 9 em. of Nearctic Pompilidae are those of Evans In contrast, males of some of the smaller (1950-51) and Townes (1957), although there species ofAgeniella have a body length of <2 have been several refinements in the classifi­ mm, with a wing span ofabout 3 mm. cation in the decades since those papers were Adult spider wasps of most species take published. nectar at flowers, and it is here that most are The Colorado fauna includes 5 species that taken by collectors. Flowers with shallow also occur in Eurasia. These species range corollas, such as (Umbelliferae), are throughout the northern hemisphere and occur especially favored. Other genera that are fre­ chiefly in the northern mountains: Evagetes quently visited include Asclepias, Baccharis, crassicomis (Shuckard), Anoplius nigerrimus Gleome, Euphorbia, Melilotus, Sapindus, Sol­ (Scopoli), Arachnospiln jumipennis (Zetterstedt), idago, and Tamarix. Honeydew from extraflo­ Galiadurgus fasciatellus (Spinola), and Geropales ral nectaries and from aphids and other suck­ maculata (Fabricius). In contradistinction, quite ing insects is also visited frequently, especially a number of species characteristic of the deep on Helianthus. Southwest and Mexico enter Colorado in the In this paper I accept the strictures of southernmost third ofthe state, for example, the Menke (1990), though with misgivings, as species of Pepsis and Psorthaspis. Three species these result in the use of several unfamiliar have been reported only from Montezuma names for well-knowu species. Some of these County in extreme southwestern Colorado: novel synonymies are based on the discovery Galopompilus pyrrhomelas (Walker), Priocne­ by Day (1977) ofbroken specimens with incor­ mis oregona Banks, and luxus (Banks). rect locality data that are claimed to represent Recently several species characteristic of North American species. Others are based on eastern forests have appeared in Colorado, such the rejection ofsecondary homonyms, an unfor­ as Priocnemis minorata Banks and Auplopus tunate procedure now evidently part ofthe code mellipes variitarsatus (Dalla Torre). Similarly, ofzoological nomenclature, several typically West Coast species have been I also accept the nomenclatural changes taken here, such as Gryptocheilus hesperus suggested by Shimizu (1994), based on his (Banks) and Dipogon sericeus Banks. It is pos­ research and that of several European work­ sible that some of these species have been ers, most especially Day (1981). Arrangement introduced in commerce. ofthe genera follows that in the Catalog (Krom­ Most spider wasps prepare simple nests in bein et aI. 1979) except in a few cases and with some changes in generic names. The list is the soil, but a few make mud cells above­ ground. A few oviposit on spiders directly, based primarily on specimens in the collections of Colorado State University, Fort Collins; the without taking them to a nest, and some are University ofColorado, Boulder; and tbe Den­ parasites of other Pompilidae (species of Ger­ ver Museum of Natural History. Some records opales and Evagetes). Most spider wasps are have been taken from the literature. black in color, with translucent or fumose wings. A few have banded wings, and some (mostly larger species) have bright orauge wings. Orange SUBFAMILY is an aposematic (warning) color in insects; it Genus Galopompilus Asbmead is believed that birds learn to associate this color with undesirable qualities (in this case a This genus was called Ghirodamus by potent sting) and to avoid attacking such insects. Townes (1957), but the type of that genus is a American species of doubtful affinities Fifteen species occurring in Colorado have South with North American species. These wasps orange wings, forming a complex of what are often called Mullerian mimics. There are other are infrequently collected and nothing is known of their predatory or nesting behavior. examples ofapparent mimicry: species with yel­ low banding, suggesting social wasps, and oth­ Our I species has brilliant orange-red wings. ers with orange patterns on the body, suggest­ pyrrhomelas (Walker). Montezuma Co. A single ing Mutillidae (velvet ants). female was collected 7 August 1929 by 1997] COLORADO SPIDER WASPS 191

P.R. Fmnke in Mesa Verde National Park. recorded &om Colorado are rarely encoun­ There is a female in the University ofWyo­ tered, and nothing is known of their behavior. ming collection from Laramie, WY, col­ There are several records ofan eastern species, lected 26 September 1964 by R.E. pfadt. nebulosus (Dahlhom), preying upon grass spi­ The species was reported by Townes (1957) ders ofthe genus Agelenopsis. from British Columbia to Arizona, with no (Banks). Huerfano and Larimer coun­ records from Colorado or Wyoming. apache ties. Townes (1957) recorded this species Genus Pepsis Fabricius only from southern Arizona and Texas. coloradensis (Banks). Boulder, Clear Creek, and These are the "tarantula hawks," of large Larimer counties. size and with bright omnge wings. Females hunt for mygalomorph spiders ("tarantulas"), Genus Entypus Dablbom pamlyze them by stinging, and place them either in the spider's burrow or in a shallow These are wasps of moderate size, most of resem~ nest dug in the soil. Hurd (1952) reviewed the the species having orange wings and North American species and summarized data bling small tarantula hawks. Several of the species have been found to prey on wolf spi­ on behavior. OUT 5 species are mostly con­ fined to the southern third ofthe state. ders of the genus Lyeosa, but so far as I am aware the nests have never been found. angusti17larginata Viereck. Otero and Pueblo counties. amtus (Townes). Baca, Bent, and Otero counties. jm'1TUJsajarrnosa (Say). Bent Co. Say described austrinus austrinus (Banks). Bent, Boulder, Kio- this species from the Arkansas Valley, and wa, Las Animas. and Otero counties. Hurd recorded it from several unspecified juloieomis (Cresson). Bent and Larimer coun­ sites in southern Colorado, but it has rarely ties. been collected there in recent years, texan-us texanus (Cresson). Baca, Bent, Crowley, mildei Stal. Baca, Bent, Crowley, Otero, Prow­ }-[ uerfano, Kiowa, Larimer, Las Animas, e1's, and Pueblo counties. Otero, Prowers, and Pueblo counties. pallidolimbata pallidolimbata Lucas. Mesa and unifasciatus cressoni (Banks). Boulde.; Clear Montezuma counties. A male in the Col­ Creek, Crowley, El Paso, Gunnison, Lari­ orado State University collection labeled mer, and Weld counties. "Ft. Collins, 11-1-24" is surely mislabeled. unifasciatus unifasciatus (Say). Yuma Co. An thisbe Lucas. Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Crowley, El eastern subspecies. Paso, Buerfano, Kit Carson, Las Animas, Otero, and Prowers counties. Severalmther Genus Cryptoeheilus Panzer exceptional records are from Boulder, The members of this genus closely resem­ Douglas, and Weld counties. All are males, ble those of Entypus, but average smaller. As one taken 5 July, the others in August; in Entypus, the females prey on wolf spiders they may have heen strays from breeding of the genus Lyeosa. The nests are multicellu­ populations farther south. lar and are dug from preexisting cavities in the so~. Genus Hemipepsis Dahlhom Banks. Boulder, Denver, Jefferson, These wasps are superficially similar to attenuatus Larimer, Mesa, and Otero counties. species of Pepsis and, Iil

Wpidus atramentari•., (Dahlbom). Baca, Lari­ variety of other ground-dwelling spiders are mer. and Prowers counties. also used. Fifteen species arc reported from Colorado. Subgenus Loplwpompilw; Radoszkowski brevihirta (Banks). Alamosa, Bent, EI Paso, Prowers, Saguache, and Weld counties. This is another small subgenus of rather An inhabitant ofsand dunes. large wasps, in this case Holarctic in distribu­ dystera (Banks). Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Boulder, lion. Belatively large spiders of several fami­ Crowley, Delta, Gilpin, Gunnison, Kiowa, lies are used as prey. Nests are dug from flat Larimel~ Mesa, and Otero counties. soil or from the sides ofpreexisting holes. cylindricus (Cresson). Prowers Co.: Carlton. aethiops (Cresson). Arapahoe, Archuleta, Bent, estel/ina (Banks). Delta and Larimer counties. Boulder, Conejos, Crowley, Denver, Fre­ fraternus (Banks). Kiowa and Logan counties. mont, Huerfano. Jefferson, Larimer, Las insolens (Banks). Alamosa, Bent, Boulder, Cone- Animas, Montrose, Otero, Saguache, Weld, jos, Delta, Gunnison, Huerfano, Larimer, and Yuma counties. Mesa, Moffat, Morgan, Otero, Prowers, atrox (Dahlbom). Boulder and Larimer coun­ Pueblo, Washington, and Weld counties. ties. leona (Cameron). Larimer Co., 8-10 km E of cleora (Banks). Alamosa, Baca, Delta, Mesa, Livermore PO: 3 females taken 4-5 August Moffat, Prowers, Weld, and Yuma coun­ 1994 on Euphorbia marginata and a male ties. Largely confined to the vicinity of taken 20 August 1996 00 foliage of Heli­ streams and lakes. lUltilus annut". First Colorado record of a species described from Mexico and re­ Subgenus Arachnophroctonus ported from Texas, New Mexico, and Ari­ Howard zona. marginatus (Say). Cbeyenne, Costilla, El Paso, Species of this subgenus are inhabitants of Kiowa, Larimer, Moffat, Morgan, Sedg­ open country where the soil is reasonably fri­ wick, Weld, and Yuma counties. able. Simple nests are dug in the soil and pro­ perdtus Evans. Bent, Boulder, Douglas, Eagle, visioned primarily with wolf spiders (Lycosi­ Jefferson, Larimer, Morgan, and Prowers dae). counties. acapukoensis (Cameron). Baca, Bent, Chey­ reda1JgUlnm recUlllgukLris (Dreisbach). Larimer enne, Otero, Prowers, and Pueblo counties. and Yuma counties. americanus ambigutlS (Dahlbom). Mesa Co. splend.em (Dreisbach). Bent, Costilla, EI Paso, nigrit"" (Dahlbom). Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Larimer, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Otero, Boulder, Cbeyenne, Conejos, Costilla, Prowers, and Weld counties. Crowley, Delta, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, subcyliflaricus (Banks). Arapahoe, Archuleta, El Paso, Garfield, Huerfano, L.'\fimer, Las Baca, Bent, Boulder, Cheyenne, Delta, Animas, Logan, Mesa, Morgan, Otero, Huerfano, Larimer, Lincoln, Otero, and Prowers, Weld, and Yuma counties. This Phillips counties. species has been called rekLtinus (Fox) for subtroncatus (Dreisbach). Bent, Elbert, Lari­ many years. mer, Otero, and Weld counties. semicinct"" (Dahlbom). Alamosa, Baca, Bent, teflebrosW! (Cresson). Boulder, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, EI Paso, Huerfano, Douglas, Eagle, Gilpin, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Las Animas. Morgan, Otero, Prow­ Larimer, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Monte­ ers, Weld, and Yuma counties. This species zuma, Montrose, Morgan, Routt, and Teller has been called rrwrginalis (Banks) for counties. many years. truncatt., (Dreisbach). Bent, Larimer, Prowers, semimfus (Cresson). Baca, Bent, Larimer, Mesa, and Weld counties. and Weld COWlties. Subgenus Afloplius Dufour Subgenus Pompili",., Ashmead These are small black or bluish wasps that This subgenus is closely similar to the pre­ nest primarily in niches, such as under stones ceding, but the species are smaller in size. or logs. Prey consists of various ground­ Wolf spiders are the most common prey, but a dwelling spiders. 196 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 57 dreisbachi Evans, Archuleta, Boulder, Elbert, parvula (Banks), Alamosa, Boulder, Huerfano, EI Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, Larimer, Jackson, Larimer, and Teller counties. Mesa, Morgan, Otero, Sedgwick, and silvivaga (Evans), Alamosa, Boulder, and Lari­ Weld counties, mer counties. hispidulus Dreisbach, Elbert Co,: Running Creek Field Station, 2120 m, Subgenus Kincaid illinoensis (Robertson), Boulder, Delta, Garfield, These are black wasps, averaging larger than Larimer, and Weld counties, those ofthe preceding subgenus, Females prey imhellis Banks, Boulder, Jackson, Larimer, Mesa, upon various ground-dwelling spiders and and Mineral counties. make simple nests in friable soil. ithaca (Banks), Larimer Co, Nests along streams, building short galleries among stones, arcta (Cresson), Alamosa, Boulder, Conejos, nigerrimus (Scopoli), Larimer Co,: Stevens Denver, El Paso, Grand, Gunnison, Hins­ Gulch, 22 km NW Fort Collins, 2200 m, dale, Huerfano, Larimer, Mesa, Moffat, papago Banks, Bent, Garfield, Kiowa, and Otero Montrose, Park, San Miguel, and Teller counties. counties. toluca (Cameron). Bent and Larimer counties. fumipennis eureka (Banks), Alamosa, Arapahoe, virginiensis (Cresson), Recorded from Colo­ Boulder, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimel; Ouray, rado, without further data, by Evans (1951), and Routt counties, scelesta (Cresson), Alamosa, Arapahoe, Bent, Genus Hesperopompilus Evans Boulder, Chaffee, Conejos, Delta, Denver, This is a small genus of rare, little-studied Eagle, EI Paso, Gilpin, Huerfano, Jackson, species, most of tbem confined to the South­ Jefferson, Kiowa, Larimer, Las Animas, west or Mexico. Lincoln, Mesa, Moffat, Otero, Park, Sagu­ orophilus (Evans), Fremont and Larimer coun­ ache, Teller, Weld, and Yuma counties, ties. Subgenus Anoplochares Banks Genus Arachnospila Kincaid Nothing is known of the behavior of the Subgenus Ammosphex Wilcke single species of this subgenus occurring in Colorado, A European species is known to These are small wasps more often taken in attack burrowing wolf spiders, using tbe spi­ wooded areas than on the plains, The prey der's burrow as a nest. consists primarily of small wolf spiders, Tbis and the following 2 subgenera are Holarctic in apicata (Provancher), Bent, Boulder, Garfield, distribution, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld coun­ ties. angulO1-is angularis (Banks), Boulder, Delta, Jef­ ferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Mesa, Teller, Genus Ap01-inellus Banks and Weld counties, These are minute wasps, all species exten­ anomala anomala (Dreisbach), Bent, Costilla, sively patterned with pale pubescence, Records Douglas, Larimer, Mesa, Montezuma, Mor­ indicate that jumping spiders (Salticidae) are gan, and Pueblo counties, the usual prey. Nests are simple burrows in dakota (Dreisbacb), Boulder, Larimer, and tbe ground, Teller counties. imbecilla imbecilla (Banks), Chaffee, Lake, Lari­ basalis Banks, Alamosa, Bent, Delta, Jackson, mer, and Teller counties, Larimer, Otero, and Weld counties. luctuosa (Cresson), Boulder, Conejos, Custer, completus Banks, Bent, Chaffee, Delta, Huer­ Lake, Larimer, Montezuma, Park, and fano, Jackson, Larimer, Mesa, Montezuma, Summit counties. Washington, and Weld counties, michiganensis (Dreisbach), Grand, Jefferson, medianus Banks, Alamosa, Bent, Delta, Jeffer­ and Larimer counties. son, Larimer, Teller, and Weld counties, occidentalis (Dreisbach), Adams, Boulder, Cos­ taeniolatus rufus Banks, Baca, Bent, Boulder, tilla, Denver, Elbert, El Paso, Larimer, Larimer, Teller, and Weld counties, Proba­ Mesa, Mineral, Park, Rio Blanco, and bly no more than a color form of the fol­ Weld counties, lowing, 1997] COWHADO SPIDER WASPS 197 taeniolatus taeniolatus (Dalla Torre). Bent, Boul­ ,.obinsonii stigmatica Banks. Lalimer Co. Taken der, Delta, Larimer, and Pueblo counties. at the same locality as the preceding and unionis (Dalla Torre). Bent, Boulder, Delta, doubtless no more than a color fonn. Douglas, Huerfano, Jefferson, Larimer, nlgata Townes. Bent, Delta, Huerfano, Larimet; Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Otero, and Montezwna, Otero, and Weld counties. Weld counties. For many years this species was calledfasciatus (Smith). LITERATURE CITED yucatanensis (Cameron). Bent, Boulde>; Delta, Douglas, Huelfano, Larimer, Mesa, Moffat, DAY, M.e. 1977. Notes on some Pompilidat: (Hymenop­ tera) ofincorrectly reported type-locality. Entomolo­ Montezuma, Otero, and Weld counties. gists' Monthly Magu7.ine 112:71-74. Genus Paracyphononyx Gribodo ___. 1981. A revision of Pompillls Fabricius a·lyme­ noptera, Pompilidac), with further nurncnclulorial These large, black wasps do not build nests and biulogicaJ considel"'cLtions. Bulletin of the British but attack wolf spiders in their burrows, the MuseulII (Natuml History» Entomology 42:1-42. EVi\_~s, H.E. 1950-51. A taxonomic study of the NelU"die wasp larva developing on the spider as a para­ spider wasps belonging to the tribe (Hyme­ sitoid. noptera: .Pompilidae). Transactions of the American Entomologic..1.l Suciety 75:133-270, 76:207-361, fUllenl1.ls (Lepeletier). Baea, Bent, Boulder, n2U3-;J40. Delta, El Paso, Huerfano, Larimer, Las EVAr..·S, H.E., AND C.M. YOSHIMOTO. 1962. The eCQlogy Animas, Mesa, Montezuma, Otero, and and nesting bt:havior of the Pompilidae (Hynlelloptcm) Prowers counties. of the northeaslem United States. Miscellaneous Publications of th~ EntomoloWcal Society of Amer­ ica 3:67-119. SUBFAMILY CEROPALlNAE HUllO. P.D.. JI{. 1952. R~vision of the Nearctic species of Geous Gel'Opales Latreille the pompilid genus Pepsis (Hymenoph::rool, PompiLi­ dac). Bulletin of th~ American Museum of Natural Members of this genus are parasites ofother History 98:261-334. Pompilidae. Females are attracted to nesting KASTON, B.J. 1959. Notes on pompilid wasps that do nut females, then slip in and lay an egg in the dig burrows to bury th~ir spider prey. Bulletin of th~ book lungs of the spider. The Geropales egg Brooklyn Entomological Society 54:103-113. 'KROMBEIN, K.V, Po. HURD, JR., D.R. SOWITH, t\NJ) B.D. hatches before that of the host and the larva BURKS. 1979. Catalog of Hymenoptera ill Am~rica consumes the host egg and then the spider. north of Mexico. Pages 1523--1570 in Volume 2 (Aculeata). Smithsonian lnstitution, Washington, DC. brevieomis Patton. Bent, Boulder, EI Paso, MENKE) A.S. 1990. Nomenclature of North American Kiowa, Larimer, Otero, Prowers, and Weld Pompilidae. Sphecos 20:1&-19. c..'ounties. Pt:CKHAM, C.W, AND E.C. PECKHAM. 1898. On the instincts elegam aquilonia Townes. Larimer and Weld and habits ofthe solitaly wasps. Wisconsin Geological counties. . and latural History SlIJVCY. Bulletin 2. 245 pp. SHIMIZU. A. 1994. Phylogeny and dassmcation of the fam­ elegans elegans Cresson. Bent, Larimer, P1'ow­ ily Pompilidae (H)'m~noptera). Tokyo Metropolitan ers, and Weld counties. / University Bulletin of Natural History 2:1-142. maculatafratema Smith. Boulde~ Grand, Huer­ TOWNES, H.K. 1957. Near<.1ic spider wasps of the sllhfilm­ fano, Jackson, Jefferson, LaPlata, LaJimcr, Hies l'epsinae and Ceropalina.e. Bulletin ofthe UniteLoaan, Mnr- pilidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of gun, Otero, and Prowers counties. Amcrica 49:447-466. robinsonii robinsonii Cresson, Larimer Co.: 21 Received 3 January 1997 km W Livermore, 2300 m. ACCL'Pted 17April 1997