Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Sponsor
The Coleopterists Society supports BugGuide.

Calendar

Use of genus Chirodamus (Hymenoptera:Pompilidae)

I'm a new user to BugGuide and since Pompilids are my specialty I looked at them first. One minor thing of note was the use of the genus Chirodamus. Two of the species listed in BugGuide are, of course, North American. The genus Chirodamus (as far as I know for the moment) is not valid for the North American species (C. albopilosus, C. fortis, C. deceptus, C. feroculis, C. heiligbrodtii, C. maculipennis, C. pyrrhomelas, and C. validus). The genotype for Chirodamus is a species of wasp from South America that is not quite as closely related as one might "expect" to the current genus under which the North American species are classified(given that they were once considered congeneric) (see Pitts et al., 2006). I suggest (...and it's only a suggestion) that the name be changed in the guide to the currently accepted genus for North American species: Calopompilus.

Thank you, Nick, and Balabans.
Obviously, I have not kept up with the taxonomy! I would like to get a copy of the paper that you cite, Nick, and hopefully start corresponding, as pompilids are among my favorites as well. I'll go ahead and make the changes in the guide. Thanks so much! Bugeric@webtv.net

Welcome Nick,
and thanks for all the recent comments. We can change these, but would like to wait till Eric gets an opportunity to comment on your suggestion, since he made the original IDs. He doesn't comment on weekends and maybe not on the Fourth, so we may have to wait a few days.
Many images are posted higher in the hierarchy in the guide, so it would be very helpful if you have time if you could check both:
the Hymenoptera page here, and
the Wasp page here
for more wasps needing commentary. Thanks again and a warm BugGuide welcome to you.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.