Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Townes (1957) classified this genus in the Ceropalinae, however recent work by Shimizu (1994) and Pitts (2006) has suggested that this genus belongs in its own subfamily or is an aberrant Pompiline. However, it does still share some characters with the Ceropalinae. It is still currently placed in its own subfamily, Notocyphinae.
Identification
Eyes parallel
Labrum not exposed
S6 laterally compressed in females
Pronotum with a distinct dorsal face that is separated from the anterior face by a distinct angulation
Pterostigma small, at most 2.5X as long as wide
Spine pits on meso- and metafemora absent or inconspicuous
Cu1 simple, without any basal downward deflection
Females with bright orange coloration on head and mesosoma, otherwise black. Males black with white markings.
Range
s. CA west to s.c. TX. The subspecies appear to separate in the eastern half of NM, but there are relatively few records from New Mexico so more study is needed in the area to corroborate this.
Habitat
Arid desert scrub and grasslands. Often found on flowers.
Food
Adults visit flowers, especially milkweed. Koinobiont on Theraphosids:
Life Cycle
The female stings a tarantula and temporarily paralyzes it. The wasp then lays an egg on the spider. The spider recovers and the eggs hatches, the larva feeding on non-essential tissues first. When development is complete little is left of the spider; the larva pupates using silk and inedible pieces of the spider's exoskeleton. There appears to be a single generation per year.
Print References
Townes, H.K. 1957. Nearctic wasps of the subfamilies pepsinae and ceropalinae. U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 209: 1-286.
Krombein, K.V. 1979. Pompilidae, pp. 1523-1571. In Krombein, K.V., P.D. Hurd, Jr., D.R. Smith, and B.D. Burks, eds. Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico. Vol. 2 Apocrita (Aculeata). Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C.
Pitts, J.P., M.S. Wasbauer, C.D. von Dohlen. 2006. Preliminary morphological analysis of relationships between the spider wasp subfamilies (Hymenoptera:Pompilidae): revisiting an old problem. Zoologica Scripta, 35:1 (pp.63-84).
Shimizu, A. 1994. Phylogeny and classification of the family Pompilidae. Tokyo Metropolitan University, Bulletin of Natural History, 2:1-142.
