Ceropales bipunctata bipunctata Say, 1824

Kurczewski, Frank E. & West, Rick C., 2023, Evaluation of North American spider wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) common names, Insecta Mundi 2023 (989), pp. 1-8 : 3

Ceropales bipunctata bipunctata Say (Two speckled cuckoo spider wasp)

Five words is a lengthy common name! Speckled is defined as “covered with many small spots or patches of color.” Ceropales b. bipunctata has a few cream-colored spots or lines on the clypeus and scape and a small spot above the hind coxa ( Townes 1957), but this species is hardly speckled. The most recognizable taxonomic characteristic of C. b. bipunctata is the bright rufous hindfemur ( Fig. 3 ), but there are many other spider wasp species with this characteristic.

Figures

Figures 1–6.Habitus photos of North American Pompilidae. 1) Anoplius semicinctus female, Marlboro, Windham County, VT, USA. Photograph © Tom Murray. 2) Caliadurgus fasciatellus female, Rockville, Hanover County, VA, USA. Photograph © Louise Woodrich. 3) Ceropales bipunctata bipunctata female, Hatfield, Hampshire County, MA, USA. Photograph © Sloan Tomlinson. 4) Ceropales maculata fraterna female, Groton, Middlesex County, MA, USA. Photograph © Tom Murray. 5) Entypus fulvicornis male, Fiddler’s Creek Preserve, Mercer County, Titusville, NJ, USA. Photograph © Seth Ausubel. 6) Entypus unifasciatus cressoni female, Garland, Dallas County, TX, USA. Photograph © Tracey Fandre.